Police officer drowns in boat capsize

Team was on its way to an island in Anjuthengu lake to apprehend a murder accused

A 27-year-old civil police officer, who was inducted into the Kerala Police in September, drowned after a country boat carrying him and a few other officials capsized in the Anjuthengu lake on Saturday.

S. Balu, an officer attached to the Special Armed Police (SAP) camp in Peroorkada, was part of a team led by Varkala station house officer (SHO) Prasanth that was on its way to apprehend an accused in the recent murder of Sudheesh in Pothencode.

The incident occurred around 11.30 a.m. after the team hired a motor-powered country boat from near the Panayilkadavu bridge, a short distance from Varkala. They intended to row to an island near Anjuthengu where ‘Ottakam’ Rajesh, the second accused in the murder case, was believed to be hiding.

Police teams from Varkala, Kadakkavoor, and Anjuthengu police stations had apparently surrounded the island in a bid to nab the accused.

Balu, who was part of a group of civil police officers deputed for security duty at the Sivagiri Madhom from the SAP camp, was enlisted in the four-member team.

45-minute search

According to District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram Rural) P.K. Madhu, three police officers and the boat operator were rescued by local people. Balu’s body was retrieved after a rescue operation that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Despite being rushed to a private hospital in Sivagiri, his life could not be saved. The body was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital where inquest was conducted. Following post-mortem examination on Sunday, the body will be kept at the SAP camp in Peroorkada for his colleagues and the public to pay homage.

Dy.SP to probe

Boat operator Vasanthan said the boat tilted and capsized after the SHO stood up abruptly. The Anjuthengu police have registered a case. The Varkala Dy.SP will investigate the circumstances that led to the accident. Balu, a graduate in civil engineering and economics, hailed from Punnapra in Alappuzha.

Condoling the death, State Police Chief Anil Kant remembered Balu as one of the best recruit police constables who had participated in the recent passing-out parade. He is survived by his parents D. Suresh and Anila Das.

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