Murudeshwar drowning incident: FIR against teachers

Karwar: An FIR has been registered against six teachers of the Morarji Desai Residential School of Mulabagilu, Kolar district, in connection with the drowning deaths of four students at Murudeshwar Beach.

The teachers brought 19 female and 27 male students from the 9th standard to the beach on Tuesday as part of an educational trip. During the visit, seven students were swept away by the waves; four were rescued, but three went missing. Tragically, one of the rescued students, Shravanthi (15), was declared dead before reaching the hospital. The bodies of the three missing students—Deeksha, Lavanya, and Vandana—were recovered later during a search operation.

Three other students who were rescued are undergoing treatment at RNS Hospital and are reported to be stable.

The FIR, registered at Murudeshwar Police Station, names Headmistress Shashikala, Mathematics Teacher Sunil R, English Teacher Choudappa S, Science Teacher Vishwanath S, Kannada Teacher Sharadamma CN, and Physical Education Teacher Naresh K.

The FIR states that the teachers violated government regulations on educational trips and failed to ensure the safety of the children. It highlights that the teachers neglected to provide safety measures, such as life jackets, and allowed students to play in the waters of Arabian Sea in Murudeshwar Beach.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed deep sorrow and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased students.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister stated: “The state government will provide compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the four students who lost their lives in this tragic incident. Teachers must exercise greater caution while supervising children during trips. It is imperative to keep a close watch on students, especially when visiting risky locations. I can understand the pain and sorrow of the bereaved parents and sincerely hope that such accidents never occur again.”