17 July,2014 06:50 AM IST | | Shirish Vaktania
Police arrested the lifeguard for negligence in the incident in which a 12-year-old boy drowned after he had a seizure attack in the swimming pool of the Kandivli club
A lifeguard in a city club was arrested by the police, in connection with a case of a boy drowning in the club swimming pool last month. The police had earlier filed an accidental death report (ADR), but lodged an FIR when the family approached them.
The Kandivli Country Club where the boy drowned on June 7
The lifeguard was identified as Husain Mohammed Sheikh (25), a resident of Kandivli. mid-day had reported on the tragedy which befell the Palan family, when their son Tapan had gone on June 7 to the Kandivli Country club for a swim.
It was the last day of summer vacation for the 12-year-old and his parents said he wanted to enjoy before going back to school. He wasn't a member of the club and had gone as a guest along with his classmate, and accompanied by his mother.
mid-day's June 10 report on the incident
According to the family, Tapan had gone swimming in the evening and the guards were not even paying attention. The boy had a seizure attack and drowned, and the guards only realised it when his body came floating to the surface. His parents had also asked for CCTV footage from the pool area, but it has emerged that there was no surveillance camera there.
In his statement to the police, Sheikh said that Tapan was just learning to swim. "We even warned him thrice not to go to the deep end or jump in the pool. When he jumped into the 3-ft deep end, I immediately went after him to save him. But, it was too late then," Sheikh has stated.
The boy's parents told this reporter that their child was being treated for his seizures for the past few years.Senior Inspector Mahipati Pandharmise from Kandivli police station said, "After the boy's parents submitted their application alleging death by negligence, we registered an FIR and arrested Husain, the lifeguard.
There were around 4 guards manning the pool at the time of the incident, but the part of the pool where the boy drowned was being watched over by Husain. Hence, we arrested him." Husain was booked under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. He will be produced in court today.
