25yearold found dead in Army golf course pond

NEWDELHI: A 25-year-old man was found dead, floating in a pond in the Indian Army’s golf course in south Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan on Tuesday morning.

According to army sources, the deceased was idetified as one Balwant Ram, who had been privately hired by a private caterer to work at the golf course’s canteen.

Devender Arya, deputy commissioner of police (southwest), said that police were waiting for the autopsy report before concluding on the cause of death, but suspected that Ram may have died after accidentally slipping and falling into the water body.

“There were no visible external injury marks on Ram’s body. We have registered a case of causing death due to negligence against the people responsible for maintaining the golf course,” said the DCP.

A native of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, Ram lived with his family in west Delhi’s Sagarpur. He had married earlier this year.

“My brother had been working for the mess for around two months. He would usually return home by 11pm. On Monday night, when he failed to return, we called up the mess and were informed that he had already left,” said Ram’s sister Mahadevi.

The family then decided to visit the mess on Tuesday morning. “We reached the golf course around 1.30am on Tuesday but the guard turned us away saying he had seen Ram leaving in an auto,” said Mahadevi, suspecting foul play in her brother’s death.

According to the DCP, the body was discovered in the pool by a sweeper around 9.45am on Tuesday.

Army sources said Ram may have accidentally ‘slipped and fallen’ into the pond while returning home after work.