Ludhiana, July 30
“Ishmeet Singh was alone in the swimming pool of a resort in Chaaya Island, Maldives, when he drowned yesterday afternoon. “Two Indians, a 14-year-old boy and a 20-year-old girl, who were witnesses to the drowning, have told the Maldives police and Indian High Commission officials.

The Maldives police is not in a position to comment on the exact cause of death as the country does not have the facility of post-mortem examination.

“We don't have the facility; post-mortem examination will be conducted, if required in India. Post-mortem examinations of other cases are usually conducted in India,” Sergeant Ahmed Shian, media coordinator, Maldives police, told this correspondent over the phone.

He said a press briefing on the incident and police inquiry would be held tomorrow.

Narayan Swami, secretary, council to the Indian High Commission, Maldives, over the phone said Ishmeet was one of the seven-member troupe that landed here last afternoon. The troupe was part of the Voice of India-II auditions.

Witnesses Vyom (15) and Arunima (20), both belonging to Delhi, have told the commission that they hit the pool area while others preferred to rest in resort rooms.

They told the commission that Ishmeet had ventured alone into the pool beckoning them to join him. The witnesses added that Ishmeet kept going towards the deeper part of the pool waving at them to follow him, revealed Swamy.

The girl said Ishmeet waved frantically when he went to the deepest part, but they could not make out if it was desperation call to save him. “By the time , we realised what had happened, Ishmeet had sunk to the floor of the pool,” the witnesses told the commission. The witnesses could not be reached over the phone.

Swamy said the two witnesses raised the alarm and hotel staff and others rushed. Ishmeet was pulled out. A doctor tried to revive him by the pool side. But it was too late. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Relatives and friends are finding it hard to believe that it was an accident though reports from Maldives have not suggested any conspiracy.

Dr C.K. Singh, a relative, said there was definitely some negligence behind his death. “We are perturbed on why the crew members of the Voice of India-Part II audition or the resort staff did not have a life guard in the pool.”

Harnam Singh Dhumma, chief, Damdami Taksal, has demanded a high-level probe into the matter.