12-year-old drowns in Lohegaon lake

A 12-year-old school student, Pankaj Ashok Shinde, drowned on Thursday after falling into a lake in Lohegaon. His body was fished out by the fire brigade personnel on Friday.

The police said Pankaj was a standard V student in a private school at Lohegaon.

His father works in the Indian Air Force, while his mother is a homemaker.

After attending school, Pankaj and four of his friends were on their way home. They decided to go for a swim in the lake near the school.

Police inspector Prakash Gharge of Airport police station said Pankaj and his friends did not have an idea about the depth of the lake.

“Pankaj entered the lake and slipped. When he yelled for help, his friends panicked and fled,” police officials added.

After being informed of the incident, airport police station officials rushed to the spot and searched for the body.

But they couldn’t find his body till Thursday night.

On Friday morning, Yerawada fire brigade staff conducted a search operation and fished out his body from the lake.