The body of a 15-year-old student from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya was discovered in a pond close to the school campus in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The student, identified as Pragyan Vimal, was a Class 10 student. Another student, Roshan Baretha, aged 14 and a Class 9 student, is still missing.
Both students went missing from the school’s hostel in the Ghattia police station area late on Monday night. The school authorities alerted the police when they noticed the absence of the students during night attendance. A search operation was promptly initiated by the police.
Upon receiving the school’s notification, the police began a thorough search operation. Despite examining CCTV footage and questioning other students, the missing boys were not located during the night. The police are investigating all possible angles to ascertain the sequence of events.
Local residents informed the police about a body floating in a pond near the school boundary around 6 a.m. on Tuesday. The body, later identified as Pragyan Vimal, was retrieved with the help of villagers. The police sent the body for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Teams comprising the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and divers are actively searching the pond and its surroundings to locate the missing student. The authorities have emphasized that further actions will be based on the post-mortem report and investigation findings. If any negligence on the part of the school management is detected, legal measures will be taken.
The incident has sparked concerns regarding security measures at the residential school, with allegations of lapses in hostel supervision and night security raised by family members and local residents.
