21-year-old man drowns in Munak canal, kin allege murder

New Delhi
A 21-year-old man, a Class 12 student at a Delhi government-run school, drowned in Munak canal in Rohini on Tuesday morning, police said on Wednesday. The man’s family alleged that he was pushed into the canal by three fellow students, including two minors, who took him to the spot on a scooter.
The police said they have registered a murder case, keeping in line with the allegations of the man’s family.
“Although it’s unclear whether the man was pushed into the canal with murder intent or just as an act of fun, we have registered a murder case and initiated our probe from that angle. The other possibilities are also being probed. The three people who have been accused of pushing him into the canal are being examined,” additional deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Pankaj Kumar said.
The deceased stayed with his family in Vijay Vihar Phase-1 and studied in a school in Sector 6, Rohini.
According to the police, a 23-year-old woman identifying herself as the sister of the deceased person called them around 11pm on Tuesday, informing that three people pushed her brother into the Munak canal, killing him.
The woman told HT that her brother left home for school around 7am, but did not return home. Upon undertaking a search at school, they were informed by students that he and three others left on a scooter. She alleged that they visited the house of one of the three, a minor, who allegedly confessed that the boy was pushed into the canal.
“Initially, the boy tried to mislead us but when we threatened to name him in the police complaint, he accused another boy of pushing my brother into the canal. We then went to the other boy’s house and confronted him. He confessed to pushing my brother into the canal but did not give us a reason for it. I then informed the police,” the sister said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Pankaj Kumar said a body was recovered from the canal on Tuesdaymorning, but was unidentified. After the family identified it, the same was sent to a government hospital for an autopsy.