Engineering student falls to death at Tiger Point in Lonavla

PUNE: A 21-year-old second-year engineering student on Wednesday died after falling into a 300ft gorge from Tiger Point, a popular tourist destination in Lonavla, around 80km from Pune.

A team from Shivdurga Mitra, Maval, led by Sunil Gaikwad recovered her body and sent it for a post-mortem on Thursday afternoon.

Assistant inspector Kishore Shevate of the Lonavla rural police told TOI that the victim was a student at a private engineering college in Akurdi. She hailed from Khed taluka and was staying with her relatives in Bhosari in Pune city.

"Local vendors told us that she came to Tiger Point alone on Wednesday afternoon. She was wandering around the spot for quite a while," said Shevate.

Around 6.30pm, a vendor noticed a bag near the cliff and informed the police. Shevate said, "When we reached the spot, we found a bag and her footwear. We contacted the student's relatives with the help of contact numbers found in her bag."

He added that as it was dark by that time, it was not possible to carry out a search in the gorge. "We began the search on Thursday morning. Her body was found in the afternoon and brought up," the officer said.

The police have registered a case of accidental death. "Our investigations are on," said Shevate.