In the case of drowning of an engineer at the NIT swimming pool, the police investigation has revealed that the CCTV footage of the swimming pool was missing between 3 am and 9 pm on April 23. There is speculation that the footage was deleted to prevent the truth behind the engineer’s death from being revealed. The deceased, identified as Kunal Kishore Salpekar (37), a resident of Abhyankar Nagar, was an engineer working in the marketing department of L&T Company. On April 23, he came for a swim in the evening and drowned in the tank around 8.30 pm. In response, the Bajaj Nagar Police registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation. The police seized the CCTV footage from the center and discovered that 18 hours of footage were missing. Upon inquiry, the management claimed that the omission was due to a technical glitch.

 

The Cyber Cell and Forensic Laboratory will be consulted to ascertain whether the footage was deleted or if there was another reason behind its absence. Senior Police Inspector of Bajaj Nagar Police Station, Vitthal Singh Rajput stated that if negligence on part of the management is established, a case will be registered. The police have not yet received the post-mortem report as the doctors have preserved the viscera for forensic analysis. Sources informed that after receiving information about Kunal’s death, his father Kishore and his wife Vinaya arrived at the pool. They found Kunal’s body on the ground which caused Vinaya to faint.

 

Kunal was not quickly admitted to the hospital. Additionally, there was no coach present while Kunal was swimming which resulted into his relatives to demand strict action against the management. Soon, his relatives will meet Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Singal to demand a thorough investigation and action against the culprits. The Salpekar family and Kunal’s friends filed a complaint against the negligent contractor and his workers. There is a demand to register a case of culpable homicide under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. Numerous accidents due to drowning in swimming pools stressed the importance of deploying lifeguards and instructors. Failure to adhere to safety standards despite the potential threat to life and property can amount to culpable homicide, claimed sources.