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Jharkhand: Man drowns attempting to win Rs 50 bet
A 45-year-old man was drowned in the Damodar in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district after he accepted a challenge to swim across the river – for just Rs 50. And he didn’t know how to swim.
A 45-year-old man was drowned in the Damodar in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district after he accepted a challenge to swim across the river – for just Rs 50. And he didn’t know how to swim.
Gautam Saw was cremated on the banks of the river on Tuesday, two days after he accompanied fellow villagers to the same spot for cremating a neighbour, family members and police said on Thursday.
As part of local traditions, Saw and got into the river to take a bath when a friend threw the challenge at him on Sunday.
Saw’s body was fished out of the river on Tuesday, Ramgarh police inspector Rajesh Kumar said.
Saw was the the sole bread-earner of the family of seven -- his wife and five minor daughters. His wife is a tuberculosis patient, said Saw’s elder brother Suresh.
“He didn’t know swimming. We forbade him to go into the river but he did not care for our suggestion. He drowned leaving us mute spectators as none of us knew swimming,” Suresh told HT.
Suresh said Shyam Bihari, Gautam’s close friend, threw the challenge and another mutual friend, Ramu, assured he would accompany to the other shore.
However, as they reached the middle of the river, both started drowning. Ramu retreated but Gautam kept moving. By the time he realised the danger, it was too late, Suresh added.
