Pune: 14-Year-Old Boy Drowns In Panshet Dam While On Vacation From Rajasthan

Velhe, 13th June 2025: A 14-year-old boy visiting his maternal uncle in Panshet village near Rajgad tragically drowned in the spillway of the Panshet Dam on Friday (13th June) morning around 11 am. Another boy who was with him was rescued in time.

The deceased, Sohanlal Lakhmaram Raika, was a native of Pali tehsil in Rajasthan. He had come to spend his summer holidays with his uncle in Panshet. His uncle, Ranarama Devaram Devasi, reported the incident to Velhe Police Station. An investigation is currently underway.

According to police officials, Sohanlal and another boy, Sumit Mangilal Nat, had gone to bathe in the dam’s spillway. Due to the strong water current, Sohanlal was swept away and drowned. Sumit too began to struggle in the water.

Fortunately, a passerby named Amrut Mane, along with some other locals, noticed the boys and managed to rescue Sumit using a rope. However, by then, Sohanlal had already disappeared beneath the water.

Velhe police officers, led by officer Yuvraj Somwanshi, immediately summoned members of the disaster management team. The search operation was conducted by team members Ganesh Sapkal, Sanjay Chorge, Tanaji Bhosale, Nilesh Jadhav, Nilesh Taru, Uttam Pisal, and Sunny Mane, who entered the deep water to locate the boy.

The operation was hampered by the strong flow of water from the dam. With assistance from security guards Kiran Pawar, Jagdish Ade, Rameshwar Rathod, and Sagar Rathod, as well as local officials Rajendra Thakar and Bunty Thakar, the water flow from the dam was reduced to aid the rescue effort.

Sohanlal was eventually pulled from the water and rushed to the rural hospital in Velhe, where doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin, according to Dr. Chandrakant Bhoite.

Tragically, Sohanlal was scheduled to return to Rajasthan the next day, Saturday, as his school was set to reopen.