Abohar/Sriganganagar, July 13

A Jeep with two occupants fell into the Gang canal in the Hindumalkot area of Sriganganagar district, near Abohar, this afternoon. While driver Rakesh swam to safety, Constable Pawan Kumar (30) was feared drowned.

The two were on patrol on the instructions of the district administration to check the theft of water in the area. The Jeep belonged to the Water Resources Department.

Divers of the State Disaster Management Team and civil defence were engaged in the search operation for the missing constable, a native of Chak 13 KLD village.

As per information, assistant engineer Pyarelal, junior engineer Vijay Kumar and gauge reader Jasbir of the department from the Khakha headworks, on the Rajasthan-Punjab border, were patrolling the canal tracks and heading towards Shivpur headworks. Rakesh and Pawan were in another Jeep when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle and it fell into the canal near the Panjawa bridge. The staff in the other vehicle raised the alarm. There was no trace of the cop till the filing of the report. — OC