BENGALURU: An uncovered drain claimed the life of a three-year-old boy, Kabir, in Varthur late Sunday afternoon when he was playing with a friend in the rain and fell into the rajakaluve which was not fenced. Kabir’s fate is not known and search operations were under way.
The police said the incident occurred around 4.30 pm. The victim’s friend, a neighbour, who was with him, ran towards the shed where Kabir’s parents Vinod and Sapna are staying, and informed them about the incident.
Search operation on to trace boy
Sapna rushed to the spot, but little Kabir was nowhere to be found. The mother and the neighbours then alerted the fire and emergency services personnel. The police and fire personnel reached the spot and on not being able to locate the boy who had got washed away, alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to launch a search for him.
The boy’s father, Vinod, who works as a house-keeping staff in an apartment complex, was not at home when the incident occurred. The family hails from West Bengal and had arrived in the city two years ago. They were living in Bellandur before shifting to Varthur, where their sheds are located just 100 metres away from the fateful rajakaluve.
Varthur police have registered a case of accident. The parents have, however, not blamed anyone for the incident.A police official involved in the search operation said once Kabir is traced and his condition known, they would take up further investigations.
The incident is reminiscent of a similar case that took place in 2009 wherein a six-year-old boy Abhishek had fallen into an uncovered flooded drain in Lingarajapuram. Abhishek was never found. The BBMP had then offered a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the family, which refused to accept it.
SIMILAR CASES ABOUND
May 2011: A 12-year-old boy fell into a storm water drain and was washed away near Mysore Road.
June 2015: A 10-year-old boy Junaid, who went to pick up a cricket ball which had fallen into a storm water drain, was washed away in Devarabisanahalli near Bellandur Lake.
October 2015: A 15-year-old boy Prakash, who went fishing in a canal, drowned near Thanisandra in Veeranna Palya behind Manyata Tech Park.
November 2018: A seven-year-old boy Rakesh was found drowned in an open drain at Nagadevanahalli in Kengeri. He had gone to answer nature’s call when the incident took place. The police only found his plastic mug and slippers at the spot.
