Man pushed into well for fun drowns

A 27-year-old man drowned after his friend pushed him into a well in the city outskirts, while six others who witnessed the incident had fun recording the drowning.

The deceased Lakshmikanth, a Hebbur resident, did not know swimming. The incident happened when Lakshmikanth, working at an electronic showroom in Machohalli, went to Thagachaguppe village in Tavarekere with seven of his friends on Friday evening.

Taverekere police, who have taken up a murder case and detained five people, found in their preliminary investigation that the group partied all through the night and was under the influence of alcohol.

When they came to bathe in the well early morning, Lakshmikanth’s friend Balaram pushed him into the well, while the other six recorded the incident on their mobile phones.

Realising that Lakshmikanth was drowning, the friends tried rescuing him, but their efforts went in vain. They fled the scene in fear, while Balaram took the villagers’ help to lift Lakshmikanth’s body.

Having been alerted by a villager who watched the friends recording Lakshmikanth’s drowning, locals caught the men, tied and beat them up severely.

Locals handed the men to Taverekere police, while Lakshmikanth’s body was taken for post-mortem. Police said all of them were under the influence of alcohol. They pushed Lakshmikanth in a moment of fun, but he could not swim.

Police found the video clipping of the incident in their mobile phones and are probing if they encouraged Balaram to push Lakshmikanth into the well. Balaram is a resident of Gollarapalya and a cab driver.

The eyewitness told police that the group arrived in the village by car which they parked in a farmland before heading to the well. They sat on the edge of the well for half an hour. Later, Balaram pushed Lakshmikanth. While the victim screamed for help, they ran away.