Missing Indian student's body recovered from Manchester canal

LONDON: The body of a 19-year-old Indian student, missing since bouncers had evicted him from a New Year's Eve party at a nightclub, has been fished out of a canal in Manchester in the UK.
Souvik Pal's father, Santanu Pal, who had flown from India after he went missing, identified his son's decomposed body recovered from the Bridgewater Canal near the nightclub on Tuesday.He reportedly could not decipher a scar on his forehead that was his distinguishing mark. Souvik's passport and keys were found lodged in his clothing.
The Greater Manchester Police would reach a final conclusion in the case after receiving toxicology reports in the case and believe Souvik, from Bangalore, may have accidently fallen into the canal and drowned. "We do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding Souvik's death and a file will be submitted to the coroner in due course," said detective chief inspector Colin Larkin after the 19-year-old's postmortem on Wednesday.
No injuries were discovered on his body and his clothes were not torn in any way. Had either been the case, this would have indicated foul play.
It was learnt that detectives, inquiring the case, believe that Souvik attempted to enter the nightclub, Warehouse Project, from its rear that verged on the canal. They think he followed this circuitous route after being evicted from the nightclub and refused re-entry when he tried to gain access for the second time.
CCTV cameras last showed him at the main entrance of its premises at 11pm on December 31. A friend reported Souvik, a product design student at Manchester's Metropolitan University, missing the next day.
It is mandatory under the British law to wait for a coroner's verdict in a situation of unnatural death before a body is released for last rites. In this case, such formality is likely to be waived and his father would be permitted to take the body back to India in view of the family's urgency.
Indian consul general in Birmingham V S Ramalingam told TOI that Santanu Pal had sought assistance from the mission to fly the body to Bangalore.
The canal is in Manchester's Old Trafford area next to two iconic sporting venues -- the Lancashire County Cricket Club ground and the Manchester United Football Club stadium. Souvik was a fan of the football club and even trained to serve refreshments on match days.