Tata Steel Jamshedpur employee drowns in Puri Sea, friends in custody

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, June 23: A tragic incident unfolded on Saturday when a 24-year-old employee of Tata Steel lost his life due to drowning in the sea at Puri, Odisha. The deceased, identified as Sandeep Kumar Upadhyay, worked in the Iron Making Refractories department at Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur plant. He resided in Sidgora Road No. 4 Bagan Area and had been employed since 2020.

According to reports, Sandeep had traveled to Puri with three friends on Saturday morning, intending to spend time at the seaside. Around 11:30 am, they began bathing in the sea, where tragedy struck. Two of the friends were caught in strong waves, leading to Sandeep’s untimely demise.

While one friend managed to escape the waves, Sandeep and another friend faced difficulties. Sandeep’s body was discovered approximately four hours later, washed ashore about five kilometers away from the site of the incident. Upon receiving the distressing news, family members rushed to Puri.

Sanjay Upadhyay, Sandeep’s father, described him as unmarried with a sister and a brother. Meanwhile, Puri police have taken Sandeep’s friends into custody for questioning to ascertain further details surrounding the incident. An investigation is underway, and the police are awaiting the results of the post-mortem examination.

Sandeep, an NS5 grade employee at Tata Steel, had planned his visit to Puri after completing his duty, intending to take Sunday off and resume work on Monday. Sadly, his sudden demise has left his family and colleagues mourning his loss.