The lifeless bodies of Sonia Maraskolhe and Vijay Thakre were recovered from the Kanhan river with the assistance of the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) on Friday. The search operation, headed by Assistant Police Inspector (API) Manoj Khadse from Khapa police station, will resume on Saturday as police are attempting to locate the bodies of Arpit Kahade (18) and Anshul Baghel (18), who also drowned in the same tragic incident on Thursday. The incident occurred on when a group of six youths (three girls and three boys) embarked on a picnic to Waki. They arrived in the afternoon and after paying their respects at Tajuddin Baba’s Dargah, ventured towards the river basin.

 

Tragedy struck as Arpit Kahade, reportedly the first to enter the river for a swim, found himself caught in the strong currents of the Kanhan river. Despite efforts by his friends Vijay and Anshul to rescue him, the situation quickly escalated. Sonia Maraskolhe, displaying immense courage, swam towards the struggling trio in a desperate attempt to save them. Unfortunately, the four friends were swept away by the treacherous currents before any assistance could reach them, said police. Sakshi Nikoje and Muskan Rana, the two remaining members of the group who had initially hesitated to enter the water, raised the alarm and called for help from those nearby. Despite the swift response from the locals and the arrival of police, the efforts to rescue the youths were in vain.