KALPETTA: The family of an 11-year-old tribal boy from Wayanad, who died of severe bleeding following a bicycle accident near Muthanga last week, has accused the Highway Police officers of failing to take the injured child to hospital on their patrol vehicle and instead wasting an hour waiting for an ambulance.
The police denied the charge, even as the Kerala State Human Rights Commission registered a case and judicial member K Baijunath directed the Wayanad district police chief to submit a detailed report in 15 days.
Manu, the son of Binu and Chikki of Kattunayka Unnathi at Ponkuzhi in Wayanad, died on July 14. The Sultan Bathery police said the accident occurred around 5pm the same day on the NH at Ponkuzhi.
A Class 6 student of Government HS, Kalloor, Manu was returning home from school when he lost control of his bicycle after it struck a tree stump and fell, the police said. The autopsy later revealed he had ruptured an artery in his left thigh.
Binu alleged that he was carrying his son on his shoulder and waiting for an ambulance when a Highway Police patrol vehicle reached the spot around 5.30pm.
“They asked whether an ambulance had been called. I told them it had not arrived. They did not shift my son in the patrol vehicle as he was bleeding. They waited for the ambulance, which reached around 6.30pm. He was taken to Sulthan Bathery taluk hospital,” Binu said.
Had the police transported Manu, they could have reached the hospital by 5.45pm and he could have been saved, said Binu. The family also suspects it was a hit and run.
Wayanad District Police Chief S Devamanohar said an inquiry initiated on the family’s allegations found no lapses by the police.
Child told officers he was fine: Dist police chief
“The matter came to our notice on Saturday, and an inquiry was ordered. Investigation by the Mananthavady DySP found that the child suffered an injury after falling from the bicycle and striking his thigh against a tree stump,” he said.
Devamanohar said the boy washed the wound at a pond and went home.
“The Highway Patrol Unit was responding to another accident in Muthanga when they received information about the incident. By the time they reached the spot, the family had called an ambulance. The child was conscious and reportedly told the police that he was fine. Since the injury was covered by his trousers, the officers could not realise the severity of the wound.
They contacted the ambulance and confirmed that it was on the way. Within three to four minutes, the ambulance arrived and the child was taken to the hospital with the police’s assistance. It was there that the doctors found the injury had ruptured a major blood vessel, by which time he had lost a significant amount of blood,” Devamanohar said. He also said there was no evidence to suggest that another vehicle was involved in the accident.
The CPM district leadership has announced a protest on Monday evening demanding action against those responsible behind the child’s death.
