On Sunday, two brothers in their fifties tragically lost their lives after drowning in the backwaters of the Gunjawani dam. The incident occurred around 12:30 PM in Nivhi Ghwande village, located in the Rajgad taluka of Pune district.

The deceased have been identified as Dattatray Bhaurao Gaikwad, aged 55, and his younger brother Damaji Bhaurao Gaikwad, aged 50. Notably, Damaji had previously served as the sarpanch of Nivhi Ghwande village, and the siblings came from a family engaged in agriculture.

According to police reports, Dattatray entered the dam’s backwaters to set up a lift irrigation pump when the drowning incident occurred. Damaji was nearby at the time. As Dattatray began to struggle in the water, he called out for assistance. In an attempt to save him, Damaji jumped in but unfortunately also drowned. Local residents who heard the commotion rushed to the scene, but by the time they arrived, both brothers had already submerged.

Law enforcement quickly initiated a search operation for the men, with police teams and the district disaster management unit dispatched to the site. After several hours, Damaji’s body was recovered, while Dattatray’s body was found the following morning.

Authorities initially considered the possibility of electric shock being a factor in the drownings; however, they confirmed that there was no active power supply to the pump at the time. Investigators suggested that the brothers may have become trapped in the dense silt at the bottom of the reservoir.