Bhubaneswar: A Class VII student drowned in a pond while immersing a Saraswati idol at Kashiadihi village in Dhenkanal district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Asish Pradhan (12).
He was rescued by villagers and rushed to the district headquarters hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.
Sadar police registered an unnatural death case and sent the body for postmortem. The deceased was staying at his uncle’s house in Kathiadihi. Saraswati puja was organised at his tuition. On Wednesday, students of the tuition class went to the village pond for immersion of the idol when Asish fell in the water and drowned. Police said the boy didn’t know how to swim but entered the pond.