Siblings drown after falling into water trough near house

New Delhi: Two children died after they reportedly drowned in a water trough constructed to feed animals in south Delhi's Fatehpur Beri area on Saturday.

Police said on Sunday that they have registered a case in the matter and investigation is under progress, with the family of the deceased claiming foul play behind the incident.

According to police, the deceased were identified as two-and-a-half year old Prateek and his sister three-and-a-half year old Shrasti.

The siblings lived with their parents in a rented accommodation in Asola Village in Fatehpur Beri and were natives of Bihar. The incident came to light after a PCR call was received about the death of two children from Asola area.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Romil Baaniya said that during preliminary inquiry, it was revealed that both the children drowned in a hauz, around three feet deep, used to feed water to cattle and livestock.

"It was in a plot about 100 metres away from the victims' rented accommodation, where they usually used to go play. A case has been registered under section 304A of the Indian Penal Code," said the DCP.

Bablu, the father of the deceased children, stated that he suspects some foul play behind how his children got inside the trough.

"Both my children were not tall enough. How could they have got inside the tank? It should be investigated," the father claimed.

Cops said that Bablu works as a labourer and had gone to work when he received a phone call about the incident.

"I reached the spot and then went to the hospital, where I came to know about the death of my children. The children were with me an hour before the incident. I had given him food to eat," said the heartbroken father.

He added that it is possible that when his wife was asleep, his children came out of their house and went to play near the water trough.

"They did not visit the area regularly and the trough was never covered with anything," said Bablu.

In December 2017, a two-year-old child died after he fell inside a bucket in north west Delhi's Wazirpur village. Police had said that at the time of the incident, the mother was at a neighbour's house while the father was asleep in the house.