A nine-year-old boy died after falling into a public works department sewer in northwest Delhi’s Shakurpur on Monday. The deceased, identified as Mohammad Anas, was fished out after a search of over three hours. The body went downstream after the local police allegedly tried to search by using bamboo sticks.
Anas was with his cousin Mohsin and uncle Naushad when the incident occurred at 8.30 pm. The Class 3 student was returning home after playing at a park in Shakurpur Block-WZ.
“We were on the Britannia Chowk-Rani Bagh Road when both Anas and Mohsin fell in the drain. I also jumped in the drain to save them,” said Naushad.
Soon, locals gathered and Anas had apparently drowned by then while Naushad kept shouting for help.
An eyewitness, Kaushal Kumar Verma, volunteered to enter the sewer by using a rope. “I quickly got a rope, tied it around my waist and went down the sewer. I managed to save Mohsin, but could not locate Anas,” Mr Verma told this newspaper.
A team of local police reached there along with staff of the fire department. Mr Verma alleged that he was slapped by the policemen and told to leave the spot.
“The police personnel came to the spot and said that they did not need my help, but to my shock they were not willing to enter the drain either,” Mr Verma said. He claimed that the policemen were against getting their uniforms dirty. “Apni wardi kaun ganda karega,” Mr Verma quoted a police officer as saying.
After police and fire brigade officials failed to fish Anas out, a contractual municipal worker was urged by the locals to save Anas, said Mohammed Dinkash, another local.
Locals also allege that the street lights in the locality have not been working for six months and that a cow had also fallen inside the sewer three months ago, but was rescued. Anas’ body was handed over to family after post-mortem.
