Chennai, May 7: In a heartbreaking incident, three Vedic students from a mutt in Selaiyur drowned on Monday while performing a ritual at the Veeraraghava Perumal temple tank in Tiruvallur, around 60 km west of Chennai. The students had visited the temple to take part in the ongoing Chithirai Brahmotsavam festival.

According to police, the young men were engaged in a religious ritual when the tragedy occurred. The deceased were identified as Hariharan (17) of Kundrathur, Venkatraman (19) of Ambattur, and Veeraraghavan (24) of Thiruthangal village near Tenkasi district. Chennai Shocker: Man Switches Identity With Brother, Deceives Police for 20 Years Leading to Wrongful Conviction of Sibling in Tamil Nadu; Accused Finally Caught.

A fellow student who witnessed the drowning raised an alarm, prompting an immediate response. A fire and rescue team led by Assistant District Officer Wilsonraj, along with fire personnel Navis, Satish, Baskar, Bharat, Sougath Ali, and Durai Pandi, managed to retrieve the bodies from the water. Chennai Shocker: Traffic Policeman, Boy, and His Mother Arrested Under POCSO Act for Sexually Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl.

Two of the students were declared dead on the spot, while the third succumbed to his injuries in the ambulance en route to Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital. Post-mortems are being conducted at the same facility.

This tragic incident is a grim reminder of a similar mishap in April 2023, when five young men drowned during the theerthavari festival at the Dharmalingeshwarar Temple in Nanganallur, Chennai. In that case, a participant slipped into the water, and four others jumped in to save him—resulting in a mass drowning.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2025 02:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).