Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The body of 31-year-old software engineer Hemant Soni, a resident of Prithvipur in Niwari district, was recovered from a dam approximately 15 kilometers downstream from Rishikesh on Thursday.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident. “The news of the death of Engineer Hemant Soni, who went missing after falling into the Ganga from a bridge under construction in Rishikesh, is very sad.
In this hour of crisis, the government stands with the bereaved family. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul,” Yadav said in a condolence message.
Soni had accidentally fallen into the swirling waters of the Ganga from the under-construction Bajrang Setu Bridge near Laxman Jhula on the night of October 16.
He had started his trip from Prithvipur on October 14 with a friend. The duo reached Delhi on October 15, where Soni’s cousin, Amit Soni, joined them. The trio then proceeded to Haridwar for a brief stay before arriving in Rishikesh on the evening of October 16.
The Chief Minister personally called Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on October 19, urging accelerated rescue operations.