Nagpur: A picnic turned into a terrible tragedy after a girl and three boys met a watery grave in Kanhan river at Waki on Thursday. The incident occurred at Waki Woods in Saoner Tehsil under the jurisdiction of Khapa police station.
Among the deceased is a girl, identified as Sonia Maraskolhe (18), a resident of Nara, while the other three were Arpit Kahade (18) and Anshul Baghel (18), both from Kamptee, and Vijay Thakre (17), a resident of Nara.
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Friday 28 March 2025
Preliminary information from police revealed that six youths, including three girls, had gone to Waki Woods for a picnic. The spot is well-known for its scenic beauty. People also frequent a place nearby, which is dedicated to Tajuddin Baba, a revered Sufi saint. The six reached there in the afternoon and, after paying obeisance to Tajuddin Baba, ventured towards the river basin.
As per the version of two girls who stayed on the banks, Arpit was the first to get into the Kanhan river for a swim. As the weather was sultry and hot, Sonali, Ankush and Vijay too decided to step in. They were enjoying themselves and also called the other two girls Sakshi Nikoje and Muskan Rana. After half an hour or so, Arpit got caught in the swirling water and began to thrash about wildly in the water. His action alerted Vijay and Anshul, and they moved towards him in a bid to pull their friend out. But, by now, the river current had become stronger, so they too got caught in it.
While they were trying hard to keep afloat, their stamina was draining out rapidly. Realising their condition, Sonia swam towards them and mounted a desperate attempt to rescue them. In her attempt to save them, Sonia did not realise that they all had gone too deep into the waters. The river bed is known for its loose soil and swirling water that makes swimming very dangerous.
The four were now sinking, seeing which Sakshi andMuskan, who were still on the banks, started shouting for help. Others in the area hurried to the spot, but none had the courage to dive in and rescue the boys and the girl, who were swept away into the downstream. Someone in the crowd informed the police control room.
A team led by Assistant Police Inspector (API) Manoj Khadse from Khapa Police Station reached the spot. Meanwhile, information reached the household of the four kids, and their family members rushed to the spot. The cops pressed in a rescue team and took help of local fishermen to find the boys and the girl. The rescue team personnel and divers could not locate the four youths despite intense efforts.
Waki Woods is infamous for such drowning incidents. Despite the knowledge, youths often take the risk to swim in the Kanhan river.While the water near by banks appear quite still but the undercurrent in the river is known to be quite swift. Several cases of drowning have been reported at the same spot. A pall of gloom descended over the localities where the youth resides, at Nara in North Nagpur area of the city and in Kamptee. Four young lives have been cut short by the risky behaviour putting the families in mourning.
