A 28-YEAR-OLD mother ended her life and that of her five-yearold son by jumping into a canal at Patgowari village under ParseoniPolice Station limits on Tuesday afternoon. She tied her son to her waist with a dupatta before jumping into the water. Police say she took the drastic step after being unable to repay aloan takenfromawomen’sselfhelp group. ThedeceasedhavebeenidentifiedasAlkaShekharBihuneand her son Armaan, residents of Patgowari in Ramtek taluka. Investigations reveal that Alka had borrowed money from a local self-help group but was struggling to return it. Pressure from group members forrepaymentisbelieved tohave driven her into deep emotional distress. OnTuesday around2pm,Alka left her home with her young son.

 

Witnesses saw her walking towards the left canal of the Pench reservoir, which flows towards Bhandara and was running at full capacity. About 500 metres from the Patgowari–Chichbhuvanbridge, she was seen tying her son to her waist with a dupatta. Moments later, shejumpedinto thecanal’s strong current and pulled the child along with her. The horrifying act was witnessedbyafewlocalyouths,who immediately informed the Parseoni police. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ramesh Borkate, Police Inspector Rajesh Thorat, and other police personnel rushed to the spot.

 

With the help of local volunteers and rescue teams from Kanhan Nagar Parishad, an extensive search operation was launched. However,due to thestrongwater flow, the bodies could not be recovered on Tuesday. Family members told police that Alka had been anxious and withdrawn in recent weeks. She had spoken little and appeared mentally disturbed, but no one suspected she might take such a step. Officers are now investigating whether any harassment or threats from the self-help group triggered her suicide. Policehaveregistered thecase of accidental death.