Boy suffering from autism dies at rehabilitation centre

An 18-year-old boy suffering from autism died under suspicious circumstances in a rehabilitation centre in Abdullapurmet.

The staff found Rudransh Panda in an unconscious state and informed his parents, who rushed him to hospital where he was declared dead. A case of suspicious death has been registered on the complaint of his mother.

Rudransh Panda was the only son of Susheel Ranjan Panda, who works in a private firm, and Singhamitra Samantha, who works in a software company. They lived in Nallagandla.

The boy's autism was apparent when he was a toddler. As he grew up, the condition became more obvious and he got more aggressive. He was looked after at home, but in 2014, his behaviour became such that his parents had to admit him to the Sannidhi Institute of Disability in Abdullapurmet village.

“He would get very aggressive and damage things or sometimes even assault himself. This would continue for hours,” the parents told police during the inquiry.

There are around 65 inmates with different mental disabilities at the Institute.

It is routine for all inmates to be taken for a walk every morning at around 5.30, but Rudransh was an exception due to his severe condition.

On Saturday, after the other inmates returned from their walk, the caretaker went to Rudransh's room to give him some juice, but found him lying on the cot with his head facing down, and frothing at the mouth. His mother was called and took him to a private hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. The Institute has all the required permissions and has been running in Abdullapurmet for the past three and half years, police said. Before that it was operating in Vikarabad district for more than a decade.