Eight students from Pune drowned in the sea at Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Thursday while on a picnic, police said. All eight bodies have been recovered.

The students, all aged 16, were from a private coaching academy at Alandi in Pune district. They were part of a larger group that had travelled to the beach for a picnic.

According to a police official, the group comprised 48 people, including 25 boys, 17 girls and six teachers. The students belonged to Classes 11 and 12.

Students swept away after entering sea

The eight students entered the sea at Diveagar beach and were swept away after misjudging the depth of the water and the current, the police official said.

The beach comes under the jurisdiction of the Dighi Coastal Police Station. The location is around 170 km from Alandi as well as from Mumbai.

Rescue teams were alerted after the students were swept away. A local water sports team also joined the rescue operation and recovered the bodies of all eight students.

Police and local authorities subsequently took custody of the bodies and sent them to the Primary Health Centre at Borli Panchatan for post-mortem examinations and other required legal procedures.

The deceased students were identified as Tanmay Dattatray Vahile, Sumit Bharat Ahire, Pranav Ramdas Bansode, Kaivalya Satish Wasankar, Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile, Yash Kiran Wankhede, Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar and Kaustubh Sandeep Daund.

Police and local authorities are carrying out further legal and administrative proceedings following the incident.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced plans for protests in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata as it continues its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke made the announcement ahead of the organisation’s “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. 

Dipke said the protests would continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns, according to the report.

CJP plans protests in three cities

The organisation’s next protests are planned in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata, marking an expansion of its campaign beyond Mumbai.

The announcement comes ahead of the CJP’s ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. 

The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 

Dipke says protest will continue

Dipke said the campaign would continue until Kumar steps down from his position. The latest announcement adds protests in three more cities to the campaign. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his actions during a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight, saying his courage helped protect the lives of those on board.

In a post on X on Thursday, PM Modi described Captain Machchhar as a hero and said he displayed courage despite being seriously injured during the incident. The Prime Minister also wished him a speedy recovery and renewed strength.

“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,” PM Modi wrote, adding that his courage and determination helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy.

What happened on the flydubai flight

According to the report, the co-pilot of a flydubai flight carrying more than 170 passengers allegedly attempted to sabotage the aircraft while it was travelling from Dubai towards Tel Aviv.

Machchhar confronted the co-pilot during the incident and was stabbed. Passengers subsequently helped overpower the co-pilot.

The Boeing 737 was flying at around 34,000 feet when it began a sudden descent at approximately 10:51 am IST. It descended at a rate of roughly 23,000 feet per minute before reaching around 15,600 feet, according to the report.

Captain Smit Machchhar’s flying experience

Machchhar is an Indian citizen who has worked with flydubai for four years. Before joining the Dubai-based airline, he spent 10 years with SpiceJet.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft and has logged more than 9,750 flying hours. He has also worked extensively as a line training captain.

PM Modi said Machchhar’s actions in the face of serious danger demonstrated his determination to protect others and helped avert what could have been a major tragedy.