Four Students Die In Vrindavan Gurukul Water Tank; Manager Arrested

Four students died and a fifth lost consciousness after entering a water tank to clean it at a residential Sanskrit Gurkul in Vrindavan on Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday.

The school’s manager, Ashish Sharma, has been arrested following a complaint by the father of one of the deceased. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for each bereaved family, news agency reported quoting PTI.

The incident occurred at Maharishi Parini Sanskrit Vidhyalaya, also known as Vrindavan Gurukulam, in Chaitanya Vihar Colony.

Students Entered Tank One After Another

Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar told PTI that a student entered the tank to clean it but failed to return. Four others followed him inside. When none emerged, people at the school pulled them out and took them to hospital, where four were declared dead.

The deceased were identified as Manu Katara, 24, from Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district; Rishab Sharma, 18, from Meerut; Aryan Sharma, 18, from Kaushambi; and Devansh, 17, from Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh.

The survivor, Rudra Videsh, 18, is stable and recovering, said Dr Vinit Yadav, medical superintendent of the local hospital.

Survivor Describes Rescue In Purported Video

In a purported video circulating on social media, Rudra said the cleaning was scheduled at night to avoid disrupting classes during the day.

According to his account, the tank was emptied using a motor before Manu entered. Manu continued fetching water for about five minutes and initially appeared normal, but then collapsed.

"Guruji asked other students to go inside and check his whereabouts," Rudra said in the purported video.

He said those who followed Manu also lost consciousness. "I went inside at last. I felt normal at first, but after some time I felt suffocated, my eyes were getting closed, and my legs started shaking. I was not able to lift them," Rudra said.

Rudra said he shouted and raised a hand, prompting Guruji and others to pull him out. "Guruji and other senior students went inside, then lifted the four students using ropes and a ladder," he said.

Inquiry Ordered, CCTV Footage Under Review

District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh has directed the city magistrate to investigate the incident.

Vrindavan Circle Officer Sandeep Kumar Singh said police registered a case following the complaint from a bereaved parent. "A case was registered, and the accused manager Ashish Sharma was arrested," Singh said.

Police are examining CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events. SSP Kumar said further legal action would depend on the findings of the investigation. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

Around 200 students study Sanskrit at the school, with approximately 100 currently living on campus.

Yogi Adityanath expressed grief in a post on X, describing the incident as "extremely sad and heartbreaking" and offering condolences to the families.