Director Of Ujjain’s Dharm Vigyan Research Institute Drowns In Pond While Picking Lotus Flower

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a tragic incident, the director of the Dharm Vigyan Research Institute in Ujjain drowned in a pond located in the jungles of the Kampel area. The incident occurred on Saturday evening while he had gone on an outing with friends.

On their way back, they saw lotus flowers in the pond. He went into the water to pluck them but never returned. Police believe that while swimming, his foot became entangled in some roots under the water, preventing him from swimming back to safety, and he drowned due to the depth of the pond.

During a search operation by the SDRF team, his body was recovered and handed over to his family after an autopsy examination on Sunday.

SI Satyendra Singh Sisodiya, in-charge of the Kampel outpost under Kudel police station, told Free Press that the deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Vaibhav Joshi, a resident of Ravishankar Nagar, Ujjain.

Joshi had gone on an outing to the jungles of the Kampel area with his friends, Ritesh Ambole and Shailendra, residents of Vaibhav Nagar area of the city. On Saturday evening, after having food at a dhaba, they stopped by the pond at Mohara Ghat, where they spotted lotus flowers.

According to his friends and family, Joshi knew how to swim and had entered the pond to pluck fresh lotus flowers to offer to the deity. He managed to pick the lotus flower but, on his way back, his foot got stuck in some underwater roots, causing him to be unable to swim and ultimately drown.

Lotus was in his hand when body recovered

Police said that after the incident on Saturday evening, his friends informed the police with the help of local villagers. Subsequently, the police, along with an NDRF team, reached the spot and conducted a search operation. However, due to darkness, the body could not be recovered on Saturday night. The search resumed on Sunday morning, and the body was finally recovered. The lotus flower was still in his hand and was removed by doctors during the autopsy examination. On receiving the information, family members also reached the spot.

Father was the director of the Institute

The deceased’s father, Dr. Jagdish Chandra Joshi, a retired teacher, had earlier served as the director of the research institute. After his father's passing, Vaibhav took over as director. He lived in Ravishankar Nagar in Ujjain with his mother, two children, and elder brother.

Had planned to visit Maheshwar

According to his friends, Vaibhav had arrived at his flat on Sanwer Road in the city on Friday. He then called two of his local friends on Saturday and planned an outing. Initially, they were planning to visit Maheshwar but later changed their plan and went to the Uday Nagar Ghat area instead. It was while returning from there that the incident occurred.