Tragic Incident: 10-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in Swimming Pool at Prestige Lakeside Habitat Apartment Complex

A heart-wrenching incident unfolded at the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment complex, located off the Varthur-Gunjur Road in the city, as a 10-year-old girl lost her life in a horrifying accident. The young victim, identified as Manya Damerla, was discovered lifeless in the swimming pool of the apartment complex on Thursday evening. The incident has sparked outrage among residents, who accuse the apartment association of negligence. Meanwhile, the Varthur police have initiated an investigation and registered a case of unnatural death.

Manya Damerla, a bright fourth-grade student of a private educational institution, was a resident of Tower 17 within the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment complex. Her father, Rajesh Kumar Damerla, is the esteemed founder and CEO of Life Simplified, a renowned digital content-creating platform.

According to the police, the tragic incident occurred around 7:30 pm on Thursday when Manya was playing near the swimming pool. In a devastating turn of events, she accidentally fell into the pool and drowned. Rajesh Kumar Damerla, who was unaware of the situation until 8 pm, immediately rushed her to a nearby private hospital. Sadly, medical professionals declared her deceased upon arrival.

Initial inquiries by the police have revealed a potentially shocking cause of death. It is suspected that Manya may have suffered an electrocution after coming into contact with a live wire on the premises. Shivakumar Gunare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-Whitefield), has stated that a conclusive determination regarding the cause of death will be made once the post-mortem report is available.

Residents of the Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment complex have voiced their concerns over a history of similar incidents involving electric shocks. They claim that despite multiple complaints, the apartment management neglected to address the underlying issue adequately. Instead, temporary fixes were implemented, ultimately resulting in this tragic outcome.

Driven by grief and anguish, the residents have organized a protest, urging the police to take swift action against the maintenance manager and those responsible for the young girl’s untimely demise.

Rajesh Kumar Damerla, grieving the loss of his beloved daughter, expressed the family’s despair and their demand for justice. He shared, “We are devastated by the passing of our daughter and seek justice for her. She was innocently playing with her friends near the pool area when this unfortunate incident occurred. Witnesses have mentioned that she suddenly fell into the pool and began experiencing electric shocks. Despite the attempts of bystanders using wooden sticks and chairs to help her, the damage had already been done. We have learned that the miniature circuit breaker (MCB) had to be turned off.”