MALAYATOOR, KERALA, Dec 29:
Director General of National Cadet Corps Lt Gen P S Bhalla today said the investigation into the drowning incident of five NCC cadets from Delhi in the Periyar river on December 26 would be completed with in 10-15 days.
Instructions have been given to complete the probe as early as possible. After getting the report, it would be submitted to Defence Minister A K Antony, Bhalla told reporters here.
After trekking at the Mahagony plantation here, the 50 odd students of a group were having lunch when five of them slipped unnoticed and went near the river to take photographs. Two of them fell into the waters and others jumped to help them and they were caught in the undercurrents and drowned.
Bhalla, who arrived here this morning, visited the mishap site along with a team of inquiry officers and Deputy Director General of NCC Kerala and Lakshadweep and was briefed about the drowning.
After getting a brief by Camp commandant and Trek Manager, he interacted with the 745 cadets at the camp, NCC sources said.
Bhalla, who also addressed the students at the camp, said he had come to boost the morale of the cadets who were grieving the death of the 5 students. All efforts would be made to ensure that such incidents do not recur, he said.
He also spoke to the students who had tried to give artificial respiration and were near the spot. Two forest guards—Ayappan and Achutan—who were engaged in the rescue operation were given a prize money of Rs 1000 each.
NCC authorities have maintained that strict instructions had been given to the cadets not to go anywhere near the water bodies.
Bhalla said if the cadets had adhered to the instructions, the mishap would not have occurred. (PTI)
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