No lifeguard, no safety staff: BJP MLA staffer dies in pool during farmhouse party in Bhopal

BHOPAL: A 22-year-old man who worked at the residence of local BJP MLA drowned in a swimming pool during a party at a farmhouse in Kajlikheda area on Friday evening. Police have launched an investigation and are probing possible negligence at the facility due to the alleged absence of safety arrangements and trained staff.

The deceased, identified as Kunal Mahawar, was a resident of Barkhedi in Jahangirabad area. According to police, Kunal went to a farmhouse along with three friends on Friday afternoon for a party.

Police said the group entered the swimming pool around 4 pm, when nearly 10 to 15 other youths were also present in the pool. During the gathering, Kunal allegedly went missing. His friends initially believed that he had stepped out of the pool area and tried contacting him on his phone but received no response.

After searching the premises for some time, they returned to the pool and allegedly found him submerged in the water. He was immediately taken out and rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The body was later sent for post-mortem examination and handed over to the family on Saturday.

Preliminary investigation by police revealed that the swimming pool was around 10 to 15 feet deep. Officials are also examining whether adequate safety measures were in place at the farmhouse, as there were reportedly no lifeguards or trained personnel deployed despite a large number of visitors using the pool. Kajlikheda police station in-charge Pallavi Pandey visited the spot along with her team on Saturday to inspect the premises.

“A case of unnatural death has been registered. We are awaiting the post-mortem report and it is only after we get the report that the actual cause of death will be clear and the further course of action will be decided. Meanwhile, we are investigating from all aspects,” Kajlikheda police station in-charge Pallavi Pandey told TOI.

Family members said Kunal was the sole earning member of the family. His father works at a shop, while his mother and younger brother are mentally unwell.