Two siblings accidentally drowned in a lake near Maula Ali dargah on Tuesday morning. According to the police, the victims — Ripabai, 11, and Rahul, 8 — lived in ZTC crossroads in Malka-jgiri, where their parents, originally from Maharas-htra, work as labourers. According to sub-inspector V. Janaki Reddy of Malkajgiri police, the duo went to the Banda Cheruvu lake, along with their younger brother Suresh, 5, and cousin Mahavir, 19, around 10 am.
“Mahavir was looking after the children. When he went to relieve himself after some time, we suspect the children got into the water and slipped. When he returned, Mahavir found Suresh standing all alone near the water crying while the two others were missing,” the sub-inspector said. After a failed attempt at rescuing the siblings, Mahavir informed the children’s father Lalasing.
Lalasing then went to the lake with a few locals. “Local swimmers fished out the bodies after about half an hour,” the sub-inspector added. The bodies were sent to Gandhi Hospital for postmortem. Malkajgiri police have booked a case under CrPC section 174. According to the police, Lalasing had been living with his family in a temporary hut at the ZTC crossroads for the last few months.