Date:30/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083059470300.htm

New Delhi

11-year-old boy drowned in DPS swimming pool

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old student of Delhi Public School Mathura Road here was accidentally drowned in the school swimming pool on Friday.

The tragic incident took place in the evening when Nadir, a Class V student, apparently scaled the fence around the swimming pool and drowned. He had gone to the school to attend extra classes during evening hours.

Nadir’s father, Mohammed Raiz Ahmad, is a motor mechanic at a petrol pump in Sarai Kale Khan here. The boy got admission to the school under the quota for weaker sections of society.

The mishap comes hot on the heels of the mysterious death of 17-year-old Pushpanjali Raj of Delhi Public School R.K. Puram on Wednesday.

Pushpanjail allegedly had jumped from the fifth floor bathroom of her hostel building in the evening.

“As per preliminary investigations, Mohammed Raiz dropped Nadir at school around 4-30 p.m. for attending the extra classes. Instead of going to the classroom, the boy headed straight for the swimming pool. Since the entry gate to the pool was locked, he probably scaled the fence and entered the pool,” said a senior police officer, recounting the sequence of events leading to the incident.

When swimming instructor Arun Kumar reached the pool a little later, he found the body floating in the water. The child was taken to the nearby Sahi Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

“We are verifying the version provided by the school authorities. Further investigations are on,” said the police officer, adding that a case has been registered.