Naini Lake, the iconic centerpiece of Nainital in Uttarakhand, is currently gripped by a series of disturbing incidents as bodies were discovered in the water for two consecutive days. On the morning of June 27, the local community was left in shock when the body of a middle-aged man was spotted floating in the lake. Upon receiving the report, officers from the Mallital police station arrived promptly at the scene to recover the remains. The deceased was identified as Mahendra Chauhan, a resident of the All Saints College compound.
A pattern of distress
What has heightened concerns among the locals is that this is not an isolated event. Only a day earlier, another individual’s body had been pulled from the same lake. The recurrence of such discoveries in back-to-back days has created an atmosphere of fear across the city. According to the son of the deceased, Mahendra Chauhan had stepped out of their house around 1:00 AM on Friday night to go to the washroom but did not return. Family members and acquaintances spent the entire night scouring various locations in search of him, yet they were unable to locate him until the morning discovery at Naini Lake.
Police investigation and medical status
The police have taken custody of Mahendra Chauhan’s body and, after conducting the necessary inquest proceedings, have sent it for a post-mortem examination. At this initial stage, the exact cause of death remains unclear. The authorities are investigating all possible angles to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. They have noted that the final details will only be confirmed once the official medical report is received.
Concerns among residents
These incidents follow closely on the heels of another death, as the body of local resident Manish Shah was recovered from Naini Lake just one day prior. The back-to-back discovery of two bodies has deeply unsettled the city's inhabitants. The police are handling both cases as separate investigations as they attempt to uncover the truth behind these tragic deaths in the heart of Nainital.
