An 18-year-old youth was allegedly drowned by another young man in a swimming pool in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Monday afternoon. CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the accused holding the victim underwater for nearly two minutes while he struggled for help.
The victim, identified as Sohil, was bathing in a swimming pool in Salarpur Kalan village under the Nakhasa police station area when the incident took place. Police have launched a search for the accused, who is still unidentified.
Sohil kept struggling, no one came to help
According to CCTV footage, Sohil was bathing in the pool with another young man around 2.30 pm. Suddenly, the accused pushed Sohil’s head underwater and kept him pressed down forcefully.
Sohil repeatedly struggled to come up and raised both his hands in the air for help, but no one noticed the incident. During this time, the accused was also seen looking around while keeping Sohil submerged.
After nearly two minutes, the accused released him. Sohil briefly came above the water and tried to swim towards the edge of the pool, but within seconds he sank again and his body settled at the bottom of the pool.
The accused then calmly came out of the swimming pool and left the spot.
See 4 pictures of the incident
Scene 1- A young man pushed Sohil’s head down in the water.
Scene 2- Two minutes later when Sohil’s breath gave out, he was released.
Scene 3- Sohil tried to swim to the shore, but 4 seconds later he sank down in the water.
Scene 4- The accused Sohil came out after drowning and left from there.
Body discovered after touching another swimmer’s feet
Pool owner Salim said the body was discovered a short while later when another person entered the pool for a bath and felt something touching his feet.
People then pulled Sohil out of the water and informed his family members.
The family rushed him to a hospital in Sambhal, where doctors declared him dead.
This is Sohil, who went to bathe in the swimming pool with a young man on a bicycle.
Family suspected foul play after learning Sohil could swim
After bringing the body home, the family members said they became suspicious because Sohil knew how to swim.
When they checked the CCTV footage installed at the swimming pool, they allegedly saw the accused drowning him underwater.
Station In-charge Umesh Solanki said police received information about the incident on Monday evening and an investigation is underway.
When the family brought his body home, they came to know that Sohil knew how to swim, so how could he drown.
Father says son was murdered
Sohil’s father, Rais, said his son had gone to the swimming pool with another youth on a bicycle earlier in the day.
“My son was drowned in the water and killed,” he alleged.
Rais lives in Pipli Rampur Milk village with his wife and seven children. Sohil was the third among the siblings.
