JOIN USA seven-year-old boy was killed after a wall crashed down on him during the demolition of an abandoned house in Banaswadi on Monday.
Lokesh, a resident of Aralimara Road, Subbayyanapalya, Banaswadi, was an orphan and had been staying with his aunt, Sarojamma.
At around 11.45 am on Monday, Lokesh asked his aunt for money to buy ice cream from a neighbourhood shop.
“I gave him the money and followed him till he approached Aralimara Road. He bought the ice cream, crossed the road and reached an abandoned house opposite to the shop which was being demolished. He started walking towards me, when there was a loud sound as a wall came crashing down. Even before I could realise what was happening, Lokesh was buried under the debris,” Sarojamma recalled.
She rushed towards the house as a large number of local residents gathered at the spot. “We cleared the debris and I picked him up with both my hands. He looked at me, cried ‘amma’ and stopped breathing,” she said.
“I was everything for him. He didn’t even know his parents were killed in an earlier accident. He was under the impression that I was his mother. For me, he was the world and now the world has vanished,” she said, breaking down.
Living with his aunt for the last six years, Lokesh was recently admitted to the Narayana Vidyashale on Banaswadi Main Road for first standard. The two had planned to make a trip to Shivajinagar to buy school stationery. “He was so happy that he would get new uniforms, school bag and shoes,” Sarojamma said.
“He told me to take him to Shivajinagar in the afternoon as he wanted to see the shops and eat at the stalls. He wanted Rs 10 for ice cream and I gave it. I never knew that the desire for ice cream would cost him his life,” she added.
Residents stone machine
After the accident, angry local residents stoned the earth-moving machine, which was being used for the demolition work. The operator of the earth-moving machine fled the spot. Lokesh’s body was shifted to Dr B R Ambedkar Hospital for post-mortem, which will take place on Tuesday.
The only son of Kumar and Sudha, Lokesh had been living with his father’s sister, Sarojamma, since the age of one after the death of his parents in an accident. The family hailed from Andhra Pradesh and settled in the city years ago. Sarojamma is a domestic help in Subbayyanapalya.