Man dies after drowning while trying to save mobile phone:Jumps into river to escape police in Jabalpur

A 25-year-old man died after drowning in the Narmada River in Khirai village of Jabalpur district on Monday afternoon. Allegations suggest that police chased the man, prompting him to jump into the river while attempting to escape. Viral video shows final moments A 6-second video recorded before the incident has surfaced. It shows police personnel calling him near the riverbank while he is seen struggling in the water—holding a mobile phone in one hand and trying to swim with the other. He later drowned during the attempt. Deceased, identified as Manak Verma, was the sole earning member of his family, which includes elderly parents, his wife, a 1.5-year-old child, and a pregnant spouse. He had earlier worked as a labourer but recently turned to sand mining work after losing his job. Sand mining for survival According to locals, around eight youths from Khirai village used to cross the river daily by boat to extract sand and sell it in nearby areas such as Bilhari and Tilhari. Their earnings were minimal—around ₹200 per day from sand collection, with occasional higher payments for transport work. Mobile phone becomes fatal distraction Manak had recently purchased a ₹15,000 mobile phone on finance. During the incident, he reportedly attempted to save his phone while struggling in the water, which may have contributed to his drowning. Sequence of events before death On Monday, police and administrative officials reached Jamtara Ghat following instructions from the district collector. Manak was initially detained but allegedly requested water and then ran toward the river, jumping into it. Protest and road blockade after death After the postmortem on Tuesday, villagers and family members blocked the Jabalpur–Mandla road with the body, causing a two-hour traffic disruption. Officials later assured ₹4 lakh compensation, BPL card benefits, and government welfare support, after which the protest ended. Allegations of selective action on sand mining Family members and villagers alleged that powerful sand mining operators receive protection, while small workers are targeted for action. They claimed illegal sand mining continues openly despite enforcement claims. Official response District Mining Officer A.K. Rai stated that the mining department was not involved in the operation. He said only police and SDM teams were present at the site.