Venturing into chest-deep water proved deadly for students at Diveagar, say police

Civic body seals premises of Alandi-based coaching institute after finding it was operating without a licence

PUNE/NAVI MUMBAI: A day after eight students from a coaching institute in Alandi on the outskirts of Pune drowned in Raigad district while on a study tour, police said that the students had ventured into sea water that was only chest-deep, but were pulled in by strong currents, leading to their death.

The Alandi Municipal Council on Friday ordered immediate sealing of the premises of Winners Academy, where the students were enrolled, after a preliminary inquiry revealed that the institute had been operating without the necessary municipal permission for nearly two years

Raigad Superintendent of Police (SP) Anchal Dalal said Diveagar beach, where the incident occurred, was relatively safer than other beaches in Raigad such as Kashid where the depth near the shoreline increases very rapidly due to steep sand drops and underwater currents are strong.

“Yet, once the students entered chest-deep water, the current began pulling them in. Those who knew swimming came ashore, while those who died apparently did not know swimming,” Dalal told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Alandi Municipal Council on Friday ordered immediate sealing of the premises of Winners Academy, where the students were enrolled, after a preliminary inquiry revealed that the institute had been operating without the necessary municipal permission for nearly two years.

“Winners Academy was operating without an official licence and will be sealed with immediate effect. A special inquiry committee is also being constituted to conduct a detailed inspection of all private coaching classes and educational institutions in the city,” Alandi Municipal Council chief officer Madhav Khandekar told reporters.

Beach safety in focus

As reported by HT on Friday, the eight deceased students were part of a 48-member group which was on an educational trip to Raigad Fort and Shrivardhan, according to a notice issued by Winners Academy on September 23. Around 5.30pm on Thursday, some students ventured into a restricted portion of the sea and eight of them were swept away as they reportedly failed to gauge the depth and strength of sea currents.

The Raigad police subsequently registered an accidental death report and are probing the circumstances leading to the students’ death, including the contours of the beach, sea conditions and if adequate safety measures were in place.

According to a preliminary inquiry conducted by the police, 17 students had entered the sea on Thursday evening, intending to remain only in chest-deep water. But the current pulled them into deeper waters, and only nine students were able to swim back to the shore while the remaining eight students who likely did not know how to swim drowned.

“The students may not have realised how quickly the depth and conditions of the sea could change at the spot,” the Raigad SP said, stressing on the need for enhanced safety measures at beaches in the district.

After multiple deaths were recorded at Kashid beach over the past decade, a battery-operated buoy was deployed recently at the beach as a safety measure. “A similar decision might have to be taken by the gram panchayat (whose jurisdiction covers the Diveagar beach),” Dalal said.

The police are also examining if there was any negligence or failure of duty on the part of Winners Academy, which had organised the study trip.

“If negligence and failure of duty is established, action will be taken accordingly,” the SP said.

Institute sealed

Winners Academy and Study Centre, Alandi, was established in 2022. It offers coaching classes for students enrolled in classes 5 to 12, as well as preparatory courses for competitive examinations.

According to a preliminary probe by the Alandi Municipal Council, the institute had been operating without obtaining an official licence for its commercial or educational activities. Alandi Municipal Council chief officer Madhav Khandekar said the institute would be sealed with immediate effect.

A special inquiry committee constituted in light of the incident would conduct a detailed inspection of all private coaching classes and educational institutions in the city, Khandekar said.

Civic officials said the committee would examine if coaching institutes operating in the city had valid municipal permissions and if they were complying with mandatory safety requirements. It would also look into arrangements made for students during educational trips, they noted.

“If private coaching classes, educational institutes or academies are found operating without valid licences or in violation of safety norms, legal action will be taken against them and they will be shut down,” Khandekar warned.

The committee was also likely to examine consent documents obtained by the institute from parents prior to the study tour, to find out what information was provided to parents regarding the destination, itinerary and safety arrangements, officials said.

The parent of a student enrolled at Winners Academy, requesting anonymity, said the institute should not be held solely responsible for the tragedy.

“This is a sad and unfortunate incident. The institute can’t be solely blamed for the accident as the intention was to provide some relaxation to the students. The institute provides quality education at nominal charges. If it is shut, hundreds of students will suffer,” he said.

BS Narke, senior inspector at Alandi police station, said that the parents of the deceased students had not yet filed a complaint.

“We have not received any complaint from any parents of the deceased so far. But, some parents of students studying at the institute have requested us to refrain from taking action against the institute, as it would lead to a disruption in studies,” Narke said.