Madras HC Grants Anticipatory Bail to Warden in Tragic Kollidam Students Drowning Case

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Srinivasa Rao, the warden of Srimaan Trust-Battar Gurukulam Padasala in Srirangam, Trichy. The case pertains to the tragic drowning of three students in the Kollidam river in Tiruchy district on May 14, 2023.

The students who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident were S. Vishnu Prasath, aged 14, and S. Hari Prasath, aged 15, both hailing from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district, and S. Abhiram, aged 15, from Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. A fellow student, A. Gopalakrishnan, aged 16, from Villarasampatii in Erode district, was also part of the group that went for a bath. All of them were enrolled as students of Acharayan Sriman Bhattar Gurukulam Veda Padasalai at Melavasal in Srirangam.

While local residents managed to rescue Gopalakrishnan, the other three students were tragically swept away.

In this regard, Srinivasaravao filed a petition in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail. The case was brought before Justice Elangovan.

In the order, the judge has mandated that the petitioner must provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the families of the deceased. This sum is to be deposited in the trial court located in Trichy District and can be withdrawn by the parents of the students as needed.

Additionally, the court has directed the petitioner to make daily appearances at the Srirangam police station until further notice, while also granting anticipatory bail to the petitioner.