Patiala, August 11
A Shimla resident who had got his wife to the city to enable her to observe the “Raksha Bandhan” festival, today pushed her as well as his three young daughters into the Bhakra Canal. While the girls drowned to death immediately, their mother died in a hospital. The man himself committed suicide by jumping into the canal later.

According to accounts given to the police, Harmesh Kumar, a resident of Shimla had come to the city to enable his wife to tie a ‘’rakhi’ to her brother who is a resident of Dhiru Ki Majri. The sources said the family had gone to Rorewal village, 8 km from here, today morning at 8.30 to take the blessings of a holy man.

The sources said the family stopped next to the Bhakra Canal at Sidhuwal village before noon so that the “tveet” and other things given by the “sant” could be thrown in running water as directed by the ‘sant’. They said after throwing the “tveet” and other things in the canal, Harmesh first caught hold of his two year old daughter Heena and threw her into the canal. Immediately afterwards he threw his three year old daughter Sheetal also in the canal.

According to the police following this Harmesh’s wife Santosh Kumari (35) got into a scuffle with him to prevent him from shoving their 10-year-old daughter Shalu into the canal. The sources said Harmesh then pushed his wife into the canal and ran after Shalu to catch her even as she was trying to escape from the spot. They said Harmesh caught hold of his daughter and dragged her to the edge of the canal and threw her in also. After this Harmesh himself jumped to his death in the canal.

The sources said as the water was flowing at some speed, people who jumped to rescue the family took some time to take the bodies out of the canal. While the children and Harmesh Kumar were fished out dead, Santosh Kumari was still alive and was taken to the Government Rajindra Hospital in a precarious condition.

Hospital sources said Santosh Kumari was provided first aid treatment and advised to be taken to the PGI at Chandigarh. The sources said Santosh, however, died outside the hospital itself.