The Latur Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra has suspended two employees after two children drowned in an open pit used for collecting wastewater. Officials further said that a case of culpable homicide has also been registered against both of them.
According to the PTI, the incident happened in the Bodhe Nagar area of Ward No 16 on Sunday, sparking massive outrage among local residents.
Both the deceased Divya Ubale and Kartik Kamble apparently entered the pit, filled with water, on Sunday afternoon to retrieve a ball. Unaware of the depth, both children drowned on the spot.
The officials said, “The pit belonged to the municipal corporation and was being used to collect wastewater from nearby houses. After its protective covering collapsed, it remained open and unattended”, as per the PTI.
Following the incident, local residents had reportedly submitted a written complaint to the administration in 2025, demanding that the pit either be filled or secured with safety measures.
Police registered a case on Monday against four persons for allegedly digging the pit illegally. Moreover, the administration suspended sanitation inspector Santosh Randive and Zonal officer Santosh Ladlapure for alleged negligence following protests.
Officials further asserted that the probe in the case is on.
Two arrested for murder of elderly scrap collector in Latur
Two persons were arrested for allegedly murdering an elderly scrap collector in Latur, a police official said on Thursday. As reported by news agency PTI, Vitthal Sopan Sasane (65), a native of Sugao in Chakur tehsil, was found dead in front of a shop along Ring Road on Tuesday night, following which a case was registered, the official said.
The official further added, “Our probe zeroed in on Om Sachin Janrao (30) and Vaibhav alias Monya Prabhakar Munde (24). The two confessed to murdering Sasane following a dispute over sleeping space. Sasane was assaulted with a wooden object and a floor tile,” as cited by PTI.
Charred remains help cops crack Mumbai murder
In a different scenario, two suspects, including a man and his girlfriend, were held for allegedly murdering a man in north Mumbai and transporting his body to Chiplun in Maharashtra’s Konkan region for disposal.
The investigation was launched after the remains of one Ejaz Qureshi, who was reportedly killed in Malad in November last year, were discovered on Tuesday, officials said, reported the PTI.
The police recovered charred remains in a mango orchard in Awatewadi village of the Rampur area in Chiplun, including bones, a ring, and an iron rod lodged in the victim’s leg.