Army commences de-weeding of lake to trace missing boy

Following the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike's (city corporation) request to the Army to help in tracing the body of Abhishek, 60 personnel of the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) Centre were deployed to carry out de-weeding of Hennur lake, where the body could have got stuck, the Army sources said.

The corporation had launched search operations to trace Abhishek's body but aborted it after over 40 hrs of search proved futile.

After discussions between senior Army officials and BBMP, it was inferred that the body may not have gone beyond the Hennur lake, they said.

The Army had conducted a reconnaissance in conjunction with BBMP engineers on June six and seven and the latter had already de-silted a one kilometer stretch of the drain and would continue to de-silt the Hennur lake.

The municipal corporation has drawn much flak from various quarters over the issue and also for leaving drains in the city open.

The Karnataka High Court on June 3 rapped the BBMP for its failure to trace Abhishek's body while hearing another petition concerned with the municipal corporation.