Police have registered a case against five members of Winners Academy in connection with the deaths of eight Class 11 students who drowned at Diveagar beach in Raigad district, according to a complaint filed at the Dighi Coastal Police Station. The case was registered 18 days after the incident following an inquiry into the educational excursion.
The accused have been identified as Winners Academy founder and teacher Amar Gotiram Adak, 29, Mrunal Suresh Narkhede, 30, Saba Mahboob Inamdar, 27, Shilpa Amar Adak, 27, and Vaishnavi Mrunal Narkhede, 28. All five are residents of Alandi Devachi in Khed taluka of Pune district. The case concerns alleged negligence; registration of the complaint does not establish guilt.
According to the complaint filed by Yuvraj Baburao Vahile, a resident of Kelgaon in Khed taluka, the academy had told students that the trip would include Raigad Fort and Shrivardhan beach. The complaint alleges that the excursion had not been properly planned. It further states that the ropeway at Raigad Fort was closed, but students were charged for the ropeway and taken to the fort by the steps instead.
The students were allegedly taken to a deserted section of Diveagar beach instead of the planned location at Shrivardhan. The complaint states that the accused knew the students could not swim, but did not provide safety equipment before allowing them to enter the sea. It also alleges that the accused themselves entered the water while the students were playing there.
The complaint says that the students were unable to assess the conditions of the sea, resulting in the drowning deaths of eight students, including the complainant’s son. The allegations raise questions about the planning and supervision of student excursions, particularly when groups are taken to beaches or other public spaces with potentially hazardous conditions.
The case has been registered at the Dighi Coastal Police Station against the five named individuals. Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Awati is conducting the further investigation. The supplied report does not provide details of any arrests, charges beyond the negligence case, or subsequent administrative action by the academy or education authorities.
