In a tragic incident on Thursday (28th December), a young girl was found dead in the swimming pool of the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment complex in the tech corridor, off Varthur-Gunjur road, Bengaluru. The deceased, identified as Manasa, was a nine-year-old resident of the same complex and a Class 4 student.
According to Bengaluru police and resident reports, the incident occurred around 7.30 pm. The victim’s father, in his complaint, stated, “I suspect that my daughter drowned after she accidentally fell into the swimming pool around 7.30 pm on Thursday.” It is speculated that Manasa might have come into contact with a live wire dangling from a light pole near the pool, leading to suspected electrocution.
Residents have expressed concerns over the safety measures in the complex. A resident, Ritesh Kumar, shared his own experience, saying, “My daughter was a little over a year old then. I had raised the complaint officially, after which, security came and stuck tape on the footlight. I had questioned them why no other protective measures were taken but we got no response.” This sentiment was echoed by other residents, who claimed that minor electric shocks were a recurring issue and that no substantial measures were taken to secure the area.
The situation became more alarming when one resident remarked, “Today, even after such a grave incident, the security guard wasn’t trained/equipped to handle the situation. He didn’t know which power line to disconnect.”
The police, while awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death, have not ruled out the possibility of electrocution. “There have been claims of electrocution. However, there were no visible injury marks on her body,” a senior police officer said, indicating the complexity of the investigation.
Following this incident, residents of the apartment complex staged a protest, demanding accountability and justice. The girl’s father, addressing reporters, emphasised the need for a thorough police investigation, stating, “We want justice for my daughter. We want to know the truth behind her death. We want the police to probe the matter and fix responsibility.”
This tragic event has raised serious questions about the safety standards in residential complexes and the urgent need for effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The police are doing further investigation.