26-year-old model Divyanshu Joshi dies in Kerala quarry; brand issues statement after backlash

A young model from Delhi, Divyanshu Joshi, drowned on Thursday in an abandoned stone quarry at Mudakuzha in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, which had filled with water and turned into a deep lake.

Police said the body was recovered the same day, and after a postmortem examination, it was flown to Delhi on Friday evening. A case of unnatural death has been registered.

According to Kodanad police Station House Officer Sarin A S, Joshi and two other men from Delhi had travelled to Kerala for the shoot of an advertisement film for a Delhi-based textile company.

“The shooting of the ad video was scheduled for Friday. However, Joshi and his friends reached Mudakuzha on Thursday itself without informing their team in Kerala. They had found the location of the shooting through Google search and moved to Mudakkuzha,” he said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

He added, “Joshi stepped into the water but soon slipped into a deep section while his two friends filmed him swimming. The quarry was dug in the shape of an inverted spiral pyramid to allow vehicle movement when it was operational. He may have slipped from one level into deeper water.”

Mudakuzha panchayat president Shimy Varghese said the site had long been considered dangerous. “The abandoned quarry had turned into a death trap several years ago. We had prevented people from going there. A few people had drowned in the past and we had placed warning boards.”

As quoted by Express, “We do not know how they managed to reach there. We had not given any sanction for the shooting of the advertisement film, but we heard they were planning to approach the panchayat on Friday.”

Following the incident, the brand Kartik Research that Joshi was shooting for, issued a statement three days later, after attention was drawn to the case by influencer and content creator Otherwarya on social media, who called for accountability from the brand.

The statement read, "We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear colleague and friend, Divyanshu Joshi, who passed away on 28 May 2026.

For the past two years, Divyanshu led our Delhi store with warmth, dedication, and generosity. He was deeply loved by his team and will be profoundly missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.

As inaccurate accounts of this tragedy continue to circulate, we wish to clarify that Divyanshu was in Kerala as part of a seasonal photo shoot and was not participating in any swimming related activity as part of the production. Some public reports have mischaracterised the circumstances of the incident.

We are sharing this clarification so that the focus remains on honouring his life and memory. We will not be making any further public comment and ask that the privacy of those close to him be respected at this difficult time.

May he rest in peace."