Woman enters Juhu sea with baby tied to her waist, infant drowns

MUMBAI: A two-year-old girl drowned while her mother was pulled out of the sea off Juhu Chowpatty on Saturday morning.
The Vakola resident, Namrata Kavale (28), was pulled out of the water with her baby strapped to her waist by a dupatta.
Namrata told the police that she had come to the beach for a stroll and stepped into the water when a strong current pulled them in.
Namrata, who has been admitted to hospital, was not told of her daughter's death.
Even as the police clarified that it was not a case of attempted suicide, they have sought footage of cameras around the location to verify Namrata's claim.
Namrata's brother and her husband's family members told the police that they do not suspect any ill-treatment from her husband or in-laws, thereby lending credence to Namrata's claim.
Around 11.15am, a few lifeguards, who were present about 100 metres from the shore, saw rushed to the sea on spotting a head bobbing in the waters. One of the lifeguards, Manohar Shetty, told TOI that Namrata was neck-deep in water. "We pulled her and the child out. She was given oxygen and rushed to Cooper Hospital in a police vehicle," said Shetty.
Senior inspector Shantanu Pawar of the Santacruz police station said the child drowned as she was wrapped to Namrata's waist. "It appears to be a drowning case. Namrata said she was standing in the water when a sudden current pulled her and her daughter in," said Pawar.