Mumbai: Arbaz Khan drowns in Vihar lake while trying to reach island

Arbaz Khan

An 18-year-old who had gone to Vihar Lake yesterday with two of his friends drowned there, even as his friends went in to rescue him but had to return without him.

Ghatkopar resident Arbaz Khan, a first-year BCom student of a Vidyavihar college who was preparing for his final exams, had gone on an outing with his friends around 4 pm.

Officials from BMC and fire brigade search for the body of Arbaz Khan

Troubled waters
Locals present at the spot said Khan and his friends had gone to Chand Shah Ali Dargah near Filter Pada in Powai, after which they decided to take a stroll near the lake. Khan's friend told mid-day that he (Khan) decided to enter the water and go near a small island a little way off, but he started struggling in the current.

His friends Sahil Shaikh and Samir Shaikh, also residents of Ghatkopar, started shouting for help, and a local immediately called up the police and the fire brigade. Sahil said, "Samir and I had just come out of the water when we heard Arbaz calling out to us for help. We jumped in to rescue him, and I was about to reach him but he went under. We couldn't find him anywhere."

With people managing to access the lake by jumping over a compound wall with broken fencing, a local shopkeeper told mid-day that the BMC and forest department need to deploy more security along the lake to avert such incidents.

Even as his friends and relatives (right gather at the spot on Monday evening. Pics/Sameer Markande

A delayed search
"There are many people, including youngsters, who visit the dargah, and some venture into the lake next to it. Drowning incidents have become common in this stretch, increasing during the monsoon. A week back, a person drowned here. The need of the hour is to stop people from visiting it," he said. As soon as news of the drowning spread, Khan's family, relatives and friends rushed to the spot and were seen sitting near the lake, waiting for the fire brigade to fish out his body.

Locals and relatives criticised the authorities for not sending a rescue team immediately. Though the incident happened early evening, the search operation began only after 7.30 pm and ended shortly after, with officials citing darkness as the reason, alleged locals.

Khan's cousin Salman Kapda said, "We informed the fire brigade around 4.30 pm, but they were slow and later kept saying that after sunset they can't enter the water as there are crocodiles inside and leopards in the area." Fire brigade officials present at the site told mid-day that the only reason they have decided to carry out the search operation tomorrow (Tuesday) is because chances of Khan being alive are extremely slim.

"This is a restricted area; it is not safe to come here. That's why we couldn't go in immediately, as expert divers are needed. But we still tried to search. We are in touch with divers from Navy, and they have told us that they will visit the spot tomorrow morning and carry out a search operation," said assistant divisional fire officer S K Bandgar.

Also read: Mumbai: 3-year-old drowns in Kandivli water tank

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