The disturbing video of the incident was filmed by their friends at the Kawale Saad Point.
Highlights
- Two men fell into a deep valley in Amboli Ghat in Maharashtra on August 1
- Police roped in trekkers to search for duo, bodies yet to be recovered
- The two men were part of a group of seven, worked at a poultry farm
In a video being circulated online, two young men, unsteady and drinking from a bottle, climb over a railing and plunge into a 2,000 feet deep gorge at Amboli Ghat, a popular picnic spot in Maharashtra.
The disturbing video of the incident that took place on Monday evening was filmed by their friends at the Kawale Saad Point, a bridge.
The bodies of Imran Garadi, 26, and Pratap Rathod, 21, are yet to be retrieved because of heavy rain, said senior police officer Sunil Dhanawade.
The two were part of a group of seven who work at a poultry farm in Kolhapur. Imran and Pratap hung back when their friends decided to leave.
The two were apparently trying to pull off daring stunts as their friends cheered and hooted. They are seen in the video swaying on their feet, sitting on the railing and often backing off before finally climbing over and standing on the edge. Their group is heard shouting in alarm. The two laugh and talk when suddenly, one of them loses his footing and grabs the other man. They both fall into the void.
The friends went to the police saying the two were missing. The video surfaced on social media a day later. "We will question the person who shot the video," said an officer, adding that this person could have gone and stopped his friends.
The police learnt what happened from local people and shopkeepers, and roped in trekkers to search for the two men. Teams from trekking groups Hill Riders and Summit Adventures joined the search.
Hours later, the bodies were spotted down in the valley.
Rain, water cascading down the hill and mist made it difficult to pull out the bodies, said Mr Dhanawade.