5yearold Batala boy dies after falling into manhole
Case registered against municipal council, sewerage board officials; victim had come to attend a religious procession
A five-year-old boy died after falling into a 10-foot-deep manhole in Batala town on Saturday night. The boy, Gurnoor Singh, had come with his parents Lakhbir Singh and Navdeep Kaur from nearby Chhit village to attend the procession to mark 531st wedding anniversary of first Sikh master Guru Nanak. At 10pm, when the family was waiting outside the civil hospital on Jalandhar Road, Gurnoor went missing.
BATALA : A five-year-old boy died after falling into a 10-foot deep manhole in Batala town on Saturday night.
The boy, Gurnoor Singh, had come with his parents Lakhbir
Singh and Navdeep Kaur from nearby Chhit village to attend the procession to mark 531st wedding anniversary of first Sikh master
Guru Nanak. At 10pm, when the family was waiting outside the civil hospital on Jalandhar Road,
Gurnoor went missing. As the boy could not be traced for eight hours, the family looked inside the open manhole, near which they had spotted the slipper of the boy. Gurnoor was brought out and taken to the civil hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
VICTIM’S KIN
HOLD PROTEST
On Sunday, a protest was held on Jalandhar Road by the victim’s relatives, who were also joined by local AAP workers. They raised slogans against the sewerage board for its laxity.
The protesters refused to cremate the boy’s body until the erring sewerage board officials were brought to book.
It was only after sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rohit Gupta reached the spot and assured them of the registration of a case against the guilty that the dharna was lifted. Batala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Opinderjeet Singh Ghuman said on the complaint of victim’s uncle, Kirpal Singh, a case under Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC has been registered against Batala municipal council and sewerage board officials. Meanwhile, Gurdaspur deputy commissioner Vipul Ujwal said, “I had directed the sewerage board officials to cover all manholes when I was in the city for inspection few days back. But they failed to comply. I have marked a probe into the matter. Responsibility will be fixed within 24 hours.” As per locals, the manhole near civil hospital was covered with a jute bag, which was later removed by someone.
I had directed the sewerage board officials to cover all
manholes. I have marked a probe into the matter.
VIPUL UJWAL, Gurdaspur DC