SUV plunges into Nira canal, couple die, daughter missing

Kolhapur: A couple drowned and their daughter went missing after the SUV they were travelling in plunged into the right bank canal of the Nira River at Natepute village in Malshiras tehsil of Solapur district early Friday morning, police said.Police identified the couple as Hanumant (58) and Manjula Jathar (48). The Natepute police were yet to trace their daughter, Preeti Tilekar (30). Her husband, Sunil Mohan Tilekar, was driving the car and survived the accident.The Jathars are originally from Man tehsil in Satara district, but were living with their son, Sushant, in Dahisar, Mumbai. Sunil and Preeti lived in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai.The police quoted Sunil as saying that Preeti, he and her parents were on their way to Mahabaleshwar and had planned a visit to the Jathars' home in Satara. "The Tilekars were planning to admit their son to a residential school in the hill station," said Vishal Waikar, assistant inspector of the Natepute police station."The accident occurred around 4.30am and we started the rescue operations by 5am. Sunil told us that he was feeling drowsy after driving long hours and misjudged the bridge. He lost control of the vehicle, which plunged into the canal," Waikar said.The SUV was later lifted from the canal using cranes. "We found the bodies of Hanumant and Manjula inside the vehicle. Sunil managed to open the door and swim to safety. Preeti is still missing and search operations are on," the officer said.