In a tragic incident in Sonipat district, a 60-year-old businessman lost his life while attempting to save his wife after she slipped into a canal during a religious ritual. The body of Murari Lal Goyal was recovered from a canal three days after the incident, police confirmed on Wednesday.
Incident Details
Murari Lal Goyal, a well-known rice mill owner and trader from Assandh town in Karnal district, also owned an arhtiya shop and a factory. His son assisted in managing the family business. According to family members and police, Murari Lal and his wife, Kamlesh Goyal (56), left home on Monday morning on a scooter to perform a religious offering near the Siwah canal bridge in Panipat.
Kamlesh was immersing pooja material and coconuts into the canal when she lost balance and fell into the water. Seeing his wife struggling in the strong current, Murari Lal jumped into the canal to rescue her. However, both were swept away by the fast-flowing water before bystanders could intervene.
Search Operation
Passersby alerted the police, prompting teams from Israna police station and local divers to rush to the spot. A large-scale search operation was launched. Within hours, Kamlesh's body was recovered nearly 20 kilometres away near Khubru Jhal in Sonipat district, while Murari Lal remained missing.
Police and divers continued the search for the next two days. On Wednesday, Murari Lal's body was finally recovered from the canal near Moi village in Sonipat. The body was shifted to Panipat Civil Hospital for post-mortem and kept in the mortuary.
Investigation Conclusion
Initially, investigators suspected suicide, but after questioning relatives and examining the circumstances, police concluded it was an accidental drowning. Israna SHO Hariram stated, "During the investigation, it became clear that the woman lost her balance while immersing religious offerings into the canal, following which both drowned in the water."
