JOIN USA two-and-a-half-year-old girl fell into a stormwater drain (SWD) and drowned at Dodda Bommasandra in Vidyaranyapura on Tuesday morning.
Tanushree was the only child of her parents Sabanna and Lakshmi, who respectively worked as construction labourer and domestic help. The couple had migrated from Mundargi town of Yadgir district and was residing at a rented house in Raghavendra Mutt locality in Dodda Bommasandra.
Police said Lakshmi usually left Tanushree at her aunt Uma's house closeby and picked her up while getting back home.
As Lakshmi left Tanushree at Uma's house on Tuesday morning, the baby girl ventured out on her own. While crossing the narrow slabs over the SWD, she fell inside and drowned. No one took notice of the girl's disappearance.
When Lakshmi returned by 10.30 am to pick up the girl, she could not find her. After an hour of frantic search, the family located her inside the stormwater drain.
Her uncle Mallikarjun jumped into the drain to pick up the baby. She was rushed to MS Ramaiah Hospital, where she was pronounced brought dead.
The SWD, which passed through the residential layout, did not have fencing. Police said it was three feet wide and three-feet deep.
The Vidyaranyapura police registered a case against the local BBMP officials under IPC section 304A (causing death by negligence).
Mayor R Sampath Raj, who visited the place, said he suspended local engineer Basavaraju and promised action on the engineer who was given the responsibility to fix the SWD. Raj also announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased girl.
DH News Service