The 13-year-old is currently in the intensive care unit and doctors fear liver failure may affect other organs in the body (Representational image)
THE CONDITION of a 13-year-old boy who consumed rat poison after allegedly being sodomised has worsened and the teenager is now fighting for his life, his family members said. The police suspect that the 13-year-old was sodomised along with a 11-year-old friend, after which they consumed rat poison by diluting it in a soft drink. While the 11-year-passed away soon after, the 13-year-old is in a critical condition. The Powai police have registered a case of unnatural offences against the unidentified accused and a search is on.
A senior doctor from KEM hospital said, “Rat poison is known for causing liver cirrhosis. The teenager’s condition was improving but the poison has affected the liver.” The 13-year-old is currently in the intensive care unit and doctors fear liver failure may affect other organs in the body. “In such conditions, liver cirrhosis makes the condition critical. His other organs are also getting affected,” the doctor added.
The 13-year-old’s father said, “He was talking to his mother on Wednesday, but now, his condition has deteriorated. He has not been talking. I have been told that his liver has failed and that the chances of him surviving are slim.” He added, “We are still trying to gather the Rs 7-8 lakh needed for the operation, hoping that he will make it.”
Meanwhile, police teams are trying to scan CCTV footage of the route that the two boys took on July 6, when the incident is suspected to have taken place. The police have the first name of one of the accused, which the boy managed to tell his mother Thursday. “We are questioning his friends and neighbours in the area to find out who is behind the incident,” an officer said.
Regarding the connection between the two cases, an officer said, “We are focusing on arresting the accused. On questioning them, we will find out if they had sodomised both the boys. If it is confirmed, we will approach the court to seek permission to exhume the body of the 11-year-old, who was buried soon after the incident, and conduct a medical check-UP,” the officer added.
The incident came to light on July 12, when the parents of the 13-year-old boy found him vomiting severely. They rushed him to the hospital, where they found that it was a case of poisoning. After being unable to talk for a few days, the 13-year-old spoke to his mother on Wednesday and told her that he had consumed rat poison after he had been sodomised by some locals.
He said that along with him, his 11-year-old friend had been also sodomised, and hence they decided to commit suicide by consuming rat poison, the father said. The family of the 11-year-old boy, however, have told the police that it was a case of death due to dehydration. The family did not allow the hospital to conduct a post-mortem in the case.
(with inputs from Tabassum Barnagarwala)
