Maidan: A teenaged NCC cadet and Madhyamik examinee drowned on Sunday morning while trying to retrieve a football from a weed-infested pond on the Maidan that has a history of similar tragedies.

Mohammad Shad Khan, 17, knew how to swim and had reached the ball in the middle of the pond adjacent to the old book fair ground when he suddenly appeared to be struggling to stay afloat, one of his younger siblings said.

It is suspected Shad got caught in a cluster of undergrowth in the pond, referred to as "general tank" in the civic records. "His brother told me that Shad was swimming back with the ball when this happened," said Mohammad Abbas, a neighbour of the family.

The teenager's brother called the police from another person's mobile phone, but Shad had drowned by then.

Shad, the eldest of five children of a tailor, lived in a lane opposite the South Park Street Cemetery. The football that took him to the pond had fallen into the water when the brothers were playing on Saturday evening. Since it was almost dusk by then, they did not try to retrieve it immediately, the neighbour said.

The boys returned to the Maidan on Sunday morning and Shad went in because he was known to be the better swimmer among the three.

Divers requisitioned by the police found the body around 9.30am.

An officer at Maidan police station said swimming in the pond had proved dangerous on several occasions, although there is no sign in the vicinity warning people against going into the water. "There have been incidents of drowning before and we strictly discourage swimming in that pond. Most people go there to wash clothes," he said.

The army's eastern command, which is the custodian of the Maidan, said it was not to blame for the circumstances of Shad's death and those of drowning victims before him. An officer said the army's responsibility was restricted to protecting the Maidan. "The civic body is supposed to check if civilians swim in the pond."

Two years ago, the state public works department (PWD) had come out with a proposal to create a park in that part of the Maidan. The plan included a installing a fountain within the pond. "We had approached the army for permission to have a park with a fence around the pond and a fountain in the middle. The army was reluctant to allow a fence," an engineer recalled.

The PWD had started digging a portion of the water body's bed to install the fountain, but the project fell through.

An engineer in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation's parks and squares department said upkeep of the pond had never been the civic authorities' responsibility since it was part of the Maidan and, therefore, belonged to the army.

Metro found the edge of the pond filled with aquatic plants. Some people were bathing and washing clothes on the concrete portion of the bank in the afternoon.

In the lane where Shad lived, the Khan family was awaiting the return of his mother from Bihar. She was visiting relatives there when the tragedy occurred.

According to those who knew him, Shad was very proud of his NCC training. "He was a good swimmer. This tragedy couldn't have happened without his legs getting caught in something," a neighbour said.

The cover picture of a Facebook account in which Shad had identified himself as "Mahboob Khan" is the Indian army's emblem. One of the selfies in his online album bears the caption "army Khan".

"He was looking forward to higher NCC training," the neighbour said.

Drowning incidents involving even accomplished swimmers are not uncommon. In August last year, a 67-year-old retired customs officer whose passion was swimming drowned in the College Square swimming pool where he had spent over three decades training swimmers.

Kajal Dutta had been part of the national swimming team in the 70s.

NOBODY’S POND

The civic body is supposed to check if civilians swim in the pond

An officer of The army’s eastern command

We had approached the army for permission to have a park with a fence around the pond (two years ago) and a fountain in the middle. The army was reluctant to allow a fence

A PWD engineer