Days before birthday, girl drowns in drain

New Delhi: Five days before she could celebrate her second birthday, a girl died after falling inside a drain in North East Delhi's Maujpur area. Family members claimed that the incident happened outside a government school.

According to police in North East Delhi, the incident was reported on Tuesday morning when the minor victim was returning home with her father. When they reached near drain her father who had vegetable shop went to check his shop and left the girl standing she somehow fell inside the drain. "It was only one minute I left my daughter and when I returned my daughter was nowhere, I checked everywhere when one kid after 10 minutes informed me about her I went inside the drain and rushed to the hospital where she was declared brought dead," Anirudh, the girl's father told Millennium Post.

The father stated that he did not hear the sound of her daughter falling inside the drain. He further added that her birthday was on 17 December now the family is left with her memories and tears. The incident just happened the girl's father drop off her elder sister at school and the minor was accompanying her. "She was telling me about chocolates and other things like every kid talks about within a minute I lost my beloved child," said the father.

"We are trying to look into the circumstances under which the girl fell into the drain," said a police officer, adding that the victim has been identified as Sreshti. Her father, Anirudh Pratap Singh, had set up his kiosk right outside the school, police said.

DCP (northeast) A K Singla said police have initiated inquest proceedings under CrPC Section 174.

The victim was found inside the drain after 15 minutes when some people at the spot had turned up at the spot to clean the drain following which she was rushed to a nearby hospital. Police said doctors declared her dead on arrival and police were alerted about the incident.