Two youth drowned in the Konasandra Lake on Sunday, a couple of days after the Hebbal Lake had claimed two lives.
The bodies of Sheik Imran, 21, and his relative, Noorulla, 20, were found around 10 pm, 9.5 hours after they had gone missing. A third man, who had also fallen into the lake, was plucked out of the water to safety by locals.
The three residents of Gangondanahalli in Chandra Layout had gone to visit the Konasandra dargah on Sunday.
According to the rescued person, Shajahan, 40, the incident occurred around 12.30 pm when Imran went to the lake answer the call of nature. He accidentally slipped into the 20-feet-deep lake, and Noorulla rushed to his aid. He too was sucked into the depths.
Shajahan tried to save the duo, but he too started drowning. Nearby residents, who heard the commotion, rushed in on time to save Shajahan. The saviours came to know of the missing duo from the rescued man.
Residents gathered in strength and searched the lake in vain. They alerted the Talghattapura police around 2.30 pm. The police informed the fire and emergency services personnel. Scores of Gangondanahalli residents joined the search operation, after Shajahan informed them of the incident.
The delay in finding the bodies triggered a heated argument between concerned relatives of the men and Ramanagara district superintendent of police, SB Bisanahalli.
The decision to call off the search at 7 pm owing to bad light flared tempers, with residents and relatives of the missing persons demanding that the search continue. They said the three men from emergency services were merely sitting in the dingy, without getting wet.
“The fire personnel are searching for the bodies without diving into the water. They are sitting in the boat and trying to find the bodies by dropping some instruments into the lake. It will not work,” Ikram, a neighbour of the missing men, shouted.
The emergency services personnel, however, fished out the bodies.
Earlier, police officer Bisanahalli decided to continue the search following an argument with the locals and relatives of the missing men. The bodies were found in the extended search.
The police and locals earlier demolished a portion of the bund which had been hampering the search operation. The bund was constructed by the Bangalore Development Authority as part of the beautification of the lake. The BDA has been carrying out the rejuvenation work of the water body.
Riaz, a relative of the drowned youth, said Imran was a construction labourer and Noorulla, a car mechanic. They visited the dargah (a shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure) every Sunday.
Incidentally, two college students, Sandesh and Sandeep, had drowned in the Hebbal lake on Friday.
