Three Minors Swept Away in Canal

A Mohali-based couple and their three children entered the Bhakra canal near Rajpura in Punjab on Sunday, and the three minors died after being swept away by the current, according to police. Villagers and passersby pulled the man and woman out alive near Mandoli bridge in the Ghanaur area, local reports said. The children’s bodies were later recovered by divers and sent to Rajpura Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police said the family’s motive was still under investigation. ### Where did the incident happen, and who was involved? Rajpura, in Patiala district, was the site of the incident, which police said took place about one kilometre ahead of Mandoli bridge near the Bhakra Main Line canal. The family was from Mojpur or Maujpur village near Landran in Mohali district, according to reports citing police. (tribuneindia.com) The five family members were described as a Mohali-based couple and their three minor children. PTI-quoted reports identified the children as Muskan, 14, Rajvir, 12, and Ekam, 7. A Times of India report, citing police and eyewitnesses, described the children as a 14-year-old, a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old. (tribuneindia.com) ### What do police say happened at the canal? Police said the family allegedly jumped into the canal on May 24. PTI reports carried by The Tribune and ThePrint said locals noticed the incident and managed to rescue the couple, but the children were carried away by the strong current. (tribuneindia.com) DSP Ghanaur Daljit Singh Virk told The Times of India that the incident occurred around 11 a.m. Eyewitnesses cited by the paper said they heard screams and saw the parents push the children into the water before jumping in themselves. Reuters-style caution is warranted here: that account comes from eyewitnesses cited by the newspaper and was not included in the PTI report. (tribuneindia.com) ### How many children were recovered, and what are their names? Three bodies were later recovered from the canal by local divers, according to PTI reports. The children were identified as Ekam, Rajvir and Muskan, and the bodies were sent to Civil Hospital in Rajpura. The reporting differs on ages. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) PTI-listed reports gave the ages as 7, 12 and 14, while The Times of India described the youngest child as 8. The names and the number of children recovered were consistent across reports reviewed. ### What are investigators examining about the family’s motive? (tribuneindia.com) Punjab police said on Sunday that the reason the family entered the canal had not yet been ascertained. PTI reports did not assign a motive beyond saying further investigation was underway. Daljit Singh Virk told The Times of India that preliminary findings suggested a family dispute may have led to the incident. (tribuneindia.com) The same report said police were also examining possible harassment by relatives and that the surviving couple were being treated and questioned. Those points were attributed by the newspaper to police officials and were not independently detailed in the PTI copy. ### What happens next in the case? Rajpura Civil Hospital is expected to conduct post-mortem examinations on the three children, according to police statements carried by PTI. Police said further investigation was underway on Sunday night, and the surviving parents remained central to establishing the sequence of events. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Ganda Kheri police station in Patiala had jurisdiction over the canal stretch where the incident occurred, according to The Times of India, while the family was from the Sohana police station area in Mohali district. The next official steps are the post-mortem reports and the registration and development of the police case. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (tribuneindia.com)