JOIN USBorn on July 20, 1997, Arjun was enrolled in the summer camp conducted by the Devanahalli Sports and Cultural Association, an NGO, so that he could spend his holidays fruitfully.
M Anjanappa, his uncle, said: “Arjun was a very active and well-behaved boy. He tried his hands at all sports. He had in him to make it big in sports.”
Arjun played cricket, football, kho kho and other sports. He was also well-versed in computers, a skill not many school children possess in a town like Devanahalli. He also dabbled in karate and other physical exercises. Preethi, Arjun’s sister, said that he was more interested in cricket and football than swimming and was always encouraged by his parents in whatever he did. “He was also a very obedient son and a caring brother,” she said.
The statement of Arjun’s family contradicts that of those who apparently witnessed the incident. One of them said that when the body was taken out, water didn’t ooze out from the mouth. “He possibly died of chest congestion, not drowning,” he claimed.
Police, on their part, say the matter is being investigated. A clear picture will emerge only after the post-mortem report comes, police added.