Student drowns after slipping into deep water at Haryana Sports University's swimming pool

SONIPAT: A tragic incident at Haryana Sports University in Sonipat's Rai, has raised serious concerns over campus safety after a postgraduate diploma student allegedly drowned in the university’s swimming pool on Thursday night.

The deceased has been identified as Nishant Gautam, a resident of Palwal, who was pursuing a final-year PG Diploma in Cricket at the university and staying in the campus hostel. According to preliminary information, the incident took place around 8.30 pm when Nishant entered the swimming pool and reportedly slipped into deeper water.

Sources said information about the incident reached the university administration after a considerable delay, hampering immediate rescue efforts. Fellow students and university staff rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The incident triggered panic and grief across the campus.

The tragedy has now put the university’s safety arrangements under intense scrutiny. Sources indicated that the swimming pool had resumed operations only earlier this week. Questions are being raised over whether mandatory safety norms were being followed and whether a trained lifeguard was present at the poolside when the incident occurred.

Police have taken possession of the body and sent it for postmortem examination. Investigators are examining CCTV footage, staff deployment records and the overall safety infrastructure around the pool area to determine whether negligence played any role in the incident.

Meanwhile, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team is expected to inspect the site as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities have also sought details from the university administration regarding operational protocols and emergency response mechanisms.

Nishant Gautam’s maternal family is reportedly from Chirawata village, which is also associated with Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam. However, officials clarified that the family has no direct relation to the minister. The incident has cast a pall of gloom not only over the university campus but also in the village linked to the student’s family.