12-year-old boy drowns in weir at Shahapur in Thane

A 12-year-old boy drowned in a weir at Shahapur taluka in Thane district on Saturday after he had been to the spot to wash his bicycle. Villagers claimed that the sand mafia had excavated sand from the area, which created a deep pit. Owing to this, the boy fell deep inside the water and was unable to come out.

A 12-year-old boy drowned in a weir at Shahapur taluka in Thane district on Saturday after he had been to the spot to wash his bicycle. Villagers claimed that the sand mafia had excavated sand from the area, which created a deep pit. Owing to this, the boy fell deep inside the water and was unable to come out.

A 12-year-old boy drowned in a weir at Shahapur taluka in Thane district on Saturday after he had been to the spot to wash his bicycle. Villagers claimed that the sand mafia had excavated sand from the area, which created a deep pit. Owing to this, the boy fell deep inside the water and was unable to come out.

Shahapur police are investigating the incident.

The victim, Rohit Gulave, was a resident of Kasara Vithhalwadi area of Shahapur. He used to visit a small part of the dam area near Moghavane village which is 2km away from his residence. On Saturday evening, he and his friends went to wash their bicycles and then stepped into water for a swim. Gulave got into the water from a different side and slipped deep inside. It is unclear why he was unable to see the surface of the water. His friends and the locals began a search for him.

An officer from Shahapur police station said, “Some villagers and divers fished out the boy’s body on Sunday morning. We have registered an accidental death case and are investigating about the villagers’ claim on sand mafia.”

A Moghavane village resident Shyam Dhumal said, “The weir is small but the sand mafia has ruined it so much. Now we can see deep underwater pits but the child didn’t understand [the depth] and drowned. Our children are regular visitors and now the weir poses a danger to their lives. We all went to Shahapur police station and submitted a complaint letter to them, stating details of the sand mafia’s activities and urged them to take action immediately.”