Death of kid at shelter home: Two staffers suspended

PROBE ORDERED A year-old child, who was at the shelter for six months, died on Sunday

LUCKNOW : Two employees of the government shelter home for boys on Prag Narayan Road here were suspended while action was initiated against two others after a preliminary probe suggested negligence on their part leading to the death of a one-year-old boy in the shelter on Sunday.

“The government has suspended two employees, include a nurse, and terminated the contract of two attendants who were hired through a private agency,” an official said.

The child, who was lodged in the shelter about six months ago, died in Civil Hospital here after he was taken there following a fall from a cradle, the official said.

As per the CCTV footage of the shelter home, after the boy fell from the cradle on Saturday night and the nurse just ignored the kid’s injuries instead of taking him to the shelter home doctor, said district probation officer (DPO,) Lucknow, Sudhakar Sharan Pandey.

“It is the case of sheer negligence,”he said, adding, “We have requested the directorate of women and child development to suspend the two shelter home employees and arrange for their replacements.”

Meanwhile, district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma has ordered a magisterial probe into the matter.

Radha Raman Singh, inspector, Hazratganj police station, said,

“As per the shelter home staff, the child was ill for the past few days, but we will be able to say more only after the post-mortem report is received.”

CHILD HAD A FAMILY

The child, who was rescued by the Childline a few months ago, had a family.

He was rescued since father was a drunkard.

Pandey said, “His father tried to take the child back but he was not handed over to him due to some technical reasons.”

A child rights activist Vijaya Singh said, “It is a matter of investigation as to why the child was not handed over to him earlier.

› As per the shelter home staff, the child was ill for the past few days, but we will be able to say more only after the post-mortem report is received RADHA RAMAN SINGH, Inspector, Hazratganj police station

his Shelter home staff said the child was not well ever since he lodged in the home. But if this was the situation, why wasn’t he admitted in hospital.”

Shelter home superintendent Manju Verma could not be reached despite repeated calls.

NOT THE FIRST CASE

In August, an 18-month-old old inmate of the same shelter home had also died at the Civil Hospital.

The staff had maintained that he was suffering from diarrhoea but the autopsy report had suggested a head injury. A magisterial probe in the case is underway.

Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel had visited the shelter home in August and pointed out several issues that needed to be addressed.

Over 30 children are lodged at the shelter, which has a capacity of just 10.