Kamal Ghorui
NOIDA: The drowning of a 23-year-old student in a water-filled construction pit has now turned into a murder investigation after his mother accused his three friends of killing him and pointed to injury marks on his body.Harshit Bhatt, a physical education student who had just finished his sixthsemester exam, died on Wednesday after entering the pit behind Supernova building in Sector 94 with his friends. On Friday, an FIR for murder was registered at Sector 126 police station against Vyas, Krish and Himanshu, the three who were with Harshit when he drowned.Cops said all angles, including the mother’s allegation of murder and the possibility that the group was drunk, are being examined.According to cops, Harshit, a resident of Indirapuram and an undergraduate student at Amity University in Sector 125, went to the site with three friends after his final paper. The group allegedly crossed into the stalled Noida Habitat and Convention Centre site through a broken section of the boundary wall. The excavation, dug for basement work, had filled with water.Police referred to CCTV footage, and said the four bought liquor from a nearby shop around 2.45pm and drank before and after the exam. Beer cans and liquor bottles were also found near the pit. Police believe the group, allegedly intoxicated, decided to wade into the water around 3.30pm.The friends told police Harshit entered first. After swimming near the edge and completing two laps, he moved towards the centre, where the pit was far deeper and the bottom marshy. One friend allegedly tried to pull him out, but got stuck in the sludge. The group then called for help.Police, divers, and teams from the fire department, SDRF and NDRF reached the spot. Using ropes, rescuers descended into the pit and recovered Harshit from around 10 metres inside. He was taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Harshit’s mother, Deepmala, disputed the account and alleged foul play.
