VDF man drowned
Source: The Sangai Express
Lamka, August 13, 2012:
The lifeless body of one Village Defence Force (VDF) identified as one Henjakai, 21, s/o (L) Otzathang Haokip of Songpi Vilage at present residing in S Molcham has been found today at about 12:30 pm from the Khuga Multipurpose Dam in Manipur south district Churachandpur.
The VDF personnel had drowned yesterday at about 3:30 pm while bathing and playing with six of his friends.
According to one of the victim's friends, yesterday they were playing by competing to climb at the retaining wall of the dam on the eastern side and those who could climb to the top will rest and those who failed had to dive again into the water.
In doing so, the VDF man dived into the water and seconds later they heard him shouting but he was never to be seen again.
The VDF personnel was not a good swimmer, according to his friends.
The victims friends said, without losing time they started diving down into the river which may be about 40-50 feet deep and started looking for him but failed to trace him.
On learning of the incident, volunteers of the Kuki Khanglai Lompi (KKL) and the Zomi Youth Association (ZYA) had carried out a hectic search operation the whole night and continued till later today.
At about 12:30 pm today, the VDF man's lifeless body was discovered just a few meters from the spot where he was last seen .
It was pulled out with the help of a large hook.
He was a constable of Village Defence Forces (VDF) attached with the reserved line of the Superintendent of Police (SP), Churachandpur.
Soon after his body was found a postmortem examination was conducted at the district hospital and after that it was handed over to the deceased family members.