A tragic incident in Kota, Rajasthan, has cut short the dreams of a young medical aspirant. A 24-year-old student preparing for the NEET examination accidentally fell into a canal and drowned, with his body being recovered the following morning.
The Fatal Evening by the Canal
Lokesh Kumawat, a resident of Jaipur district, was returning to his hostel in the Kunhadi area on Thursday evening. He had been out visiting picnic spots in the city with friends. At around 6 PM, the group stopped near the Main Canal. Kumawat went down to the water's edge to wash his hands and mouth. In a moment of misfortune, he slipped and fell into the flowing water.
The current in the canal was strong and swift. It instantly swept the young man away before his friends could react or help. This marked the beginning of a desperate search that would extend into the night and the next day.
Search Operation Hampered by Darkness
Upon receiving the distress call, Kunhadi police and a team of divers from the Kota Municipal Corporation (KMC) rushed to the location. They immediately launched a search operation to find Kumawat. However, the fading light soon became a major obstacle. The operation had to be halted due to complete darkness, which made the search in the waterbody too risky.
The search resumed at first light on Friday morning. Teams scoured the canal and its banks. The grim discovery was made around 500 meters away from the spot where he fell, in the area falling under the Nanta police station.
A Life Dedicated to NEET Preparation
Lokesh Kumawat had been diligently preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for the past four years. Like thousands of aspirants, he had come to Kota, the country's coaching hub, to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. He was living in a hostel in the Kunhadi locality at the time of the accident.
After the body was recovered, a post-mortem was conducted. The police then handed over the remains to his grieving family members. The authorities have registered a case under section 194 of the BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) and have begun an investigation.
Chetan Sharma, the circle inspector of Nanta police station, stated that the family members have not expressed any suspicion or raised doubts about the death being accidental. The incident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers posed by water bodies, especially canals with deceptively strong currents.
