A 23-year-old man is feared drowned after he allegedly jumped into the Ganga canal from a bridge near the Nahal Jhal water treatment plant in Masuri on Saturday. Police reported that passersby prevented a woman accompanying him from jumping into the canal, and she was taken into custody.
Incident details
According to police, around 9:30 am, Shadab, a resident of Dasna, and the woman were spotted on the bridge by local residents. As Shadab jumped from the bridge, several people rushed to stop the woman and later alerted authorities.
Background of the victim
Shadab worked as a goods carrier driver and had married on February 13 this year, according to his elder brother Shah Rukh. The family alleged that Shadab had been under severe mental stress due to harassment from the woman with whom he had previously been in a relationship. They claimed she had repeatedly demanded money from him in the days leading up to the incident, which they said drove him to take the extreme step.
The family further stated that the woman had filed a rape case against Shadab last year, which was subsequently settled before the high court.
Search and investigation
ACP (Masuri) Ajay Singh said efforts were underway to locate Shadab until late Saturday evening. Local divers and a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team were deployed in the search operation. Police stated that further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation. Authorities are trying to ascertain whether Shadab jumped on his own or was pushed off the bridge.
