Murud beach drowning: Angry, anxious kin throng Pune college campus

Heavy police security, including rapid action force, deployed; all roads leading to college blocked; parents say college not cooperating

Anger and anxiety rocked the Abeda Inamdar college campus. Tense and panicky parents rushed to the college immediately after the news spread. Tempers ran high when family members did not get information from the college authorities even five hours after the incident. Heavy police security, including rapid action force, was deployed inside and outside the campus in view of the tension. All roads to the college were blocked by the police.

Relative gathered at Pune college after Thirteen students, including three girls were feared drowned at Murud Janjira beach near Alibaug in Raigad district on Monday. (PTI)

College authorities sealed all entrances to the campus to keep out the mob. Several parents were seen sitting outside the office of Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society. Relatives were seen making distress calls to get information. Vidya Chavan, whose son was a member of picnic group, expressed anger saying, “the college was not providing any information to us.”

Meanwhile, with every minute, the crowd was swelling. Restless relatives were seen as the college authorities were unable to give any information even as bodies were officially being identified and legal procedure was completed to handover the bodies. Groups of youths were also seen shouting slogans against MCES president P A Inamdar and college principal Dr Batliwala. “It is the responsibility of the college to ensure safety of our boys and girls,” said Rashid Attar, who was anxiously waiting for a phone call from his son.

To make matters worse, Murud Zanjira area has no cell connectivity. “We cannot talk to our children,” said Akit Shaikh, another parent. Additional police force was deployed in and around the campus as a precautionary measure.