Sikkim student leader of Namchi slips into flooded drain, dies

PRAKASH ADHIKARI, and SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, JUNE 28, 2023: In a tragic incident, the body of Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President of Namchi Government College Padam Gurung was found in a drain in the Kazitar area of Namchi on Wednesday morning.

According to sources, Padam was suspected to have fallen inside the drain; leading to fatal accident. He was returning home from his friend’s place when his keys fell in a drain. Due to the pouring monsoon rains, the drain was over flowing, which possibly led to Padam slip down the drain. 

Twenty-one-year-old Padam was a student at Namchi Government College. The body has been recovered and has been sent to District Hospital, Namchi for the legal formalities.

The authorities have urged the various municipal bodies in Sikkim to clean the drains regularly, so that no such tragedies occurred in future. 

The Sikkim Democratic Front was extremely shocked and grief to hear of the sudden demise of Padam Gurung who was a bright and prominent student leader who was very popular amongst the students and an active social worker. 

The SDF appealed to the law enforcing agencies to have a thorough investigation in the matter to find out the cause of his unnatural death. 

The report or result of the death must be made transparent and public, they said. SDF president Pawan Chamling presided over a prayer meeting in the memory of Padam Gurung and conveyed the condolences to the family.