Arbaz Khan's body fished out by locals after fire officials call off search

Arbaz Khan

Almost a day after a college student from Ghatkopar drowned at the Vihar Lake, after he went there with two of his friends, his family members with the help of locals fished out his body on Tuesday afternoon. His family is of the opinion that his body could not be recovered earlier as the fire brigade delayed the search operation and the divers reached the spot only on Tuesday afternoon.

Eighteen-year-old Arbaz Khan had gone to the lake along with two of his friends after visiting a religious place in the vicinity on Monday afternoon. Around 4 pm he took a plunge into the water to swim to an island 100 metres away, but drowned in the process. On Monday night, the fire brigade had called off the rescue operation saying that there were crocodiles in the lake and even wild animals had been spotted in the area earlier. They had said that the operation would be resumed on Tuesday morning along with the help of expert divers.

Speaking to mid-day, Arbaz's cousin Salman Kapda said, "On Tuesday morning, the fire brigade resumed the search operation but they did not go into the water. We wanted to find Arbaz as soon as possible, hence took help from locals." Around 9.30 am, Arbaz's family members roped in around 10-15 locals from Filterpada and fished out his body. One of the locals Parvez Khan said, "We are well aware of the area as we stay here. With the help of a hook tied to a fishing rod, we managed to locate the body. It was stuck at a depth of 10 feet from the spot where he drowned. His body has been handed over to his family."

Also read: Mumbai: Arbaz Khan drowns in Vihar lake while trying to reach island

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates