Satara police register murder offence against five minors in 1-yr-old drowning case

Aurangabad, July 14:

Satara police station has filed an offence of murder against five minor age suspects on the charge of murdering an 11-year-old boy in Walmi's water pond, one year ago. The deceased's mother had approached the court to file offences against the accomplice present at the time of the incident (all in the age of 9 to 14 years).

According to complainant Pratibha Dutta Shinde (resident of Itkheda), her eldest son Rohan (11) drowned in the pond and died on August 25, 2020. Satara police registered a case of accidental death. However, she contacted the minor age children - Avdhut Jagdale, Nitin, Roshan and Baby (full name not known) - to know the details of the incident. According to them, a 14-year-old boy of the Colony was already swimming in the tank. Following an old enmity, that boy picked a quarrel with Rohan and later on, pushed three of the minors including Rohan into the pond. When Rohan tried to come out of the water body, the accused boy pressed his head by hand so that Rohan gets dipped in the water. The 14-year-old boy had also threatened the kids with dire consequences if they told anybody about the incident. Pratibha mentioned the conversation with the kids in the complaint.

Earlier, Satara police refused to file a murder offence. Hence she filed an appeal in Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC). Accordingly, the court ordered the police to file an offence. Hence the Satara police station registered an offence against the five minor age children, who were with the Rohan, on July 13. The investigation has been started in the case, said the police officials.

After registration of the complaint, the senior police officials including deputy commissioner Deepak Girhe, assistant commissioner Nishikant Bhujbal, police inspector Surendra Malale, API Sunil Karale and others visited the pond for inspection on Tuesday and Wednesday.