Student Drowned As Friends Took A Group Selfie From Just A Few Feet Away

A college student drowned in a lake as his friends took a group selfie from just a few feet away - apparently oblivious to what was happening.

Vishwas G, from Bangalore, died on Sunday while out for a picnic with his pals. A shocking image has emerged showing his friends grinning into the camera as one took the selfie - said to also show his head bobbing on the surface of the water in the background.

Vishwas' grieving family later sat with his body outside the National College, where he was a student,
in the Jayanagar area of Bangalore, in protest at his death.

They claimed lecturers in charge of the trip had been negligent but called off the action after management promised an investigation and disciplinary action against any member of staff found to be culpable.

Police confirmed that Vishwas G., the elder son of autorickshaw driver Govindaraju and his wife Sunanda, drowned in a 300-year-old temple tank.

Sumanth A., one of the students, said: "We had finished swimming and left for the Gundanjaneya temple and did not notice Vishwas's absence.

"One of the students was replaying his selfie photos and noticed Vishwas drowning being captured in the frame.

"He immediately alerted the NCC unit chief, Prof Girish, and other friends, and by the time they returned to the Kalyani, an hour had passed.

"Vishwas was nowhere to be seen."

Police said Prof Girish was present at the time but college authorities claimed that no faculty member had accompanied the students.

Local police officers later pulled Vishwas's body from the tanks and his parents rushed to the scene after they were alerted by his friends.

A police spokesman said: "Govindappa filed a complaint alleging that negligence by the National College management cost his son his life.

"We registered a case of unnatural death, based on the complaint, and may register a case against the college management if a probe confirms their negligence."

The spokesman added that police had not yet questioned the other students, as they had been in shock, but had their details and would do so in due course.
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