Teenager playing in saree swing chokes to death in Karnataka

BALLARI: A 13-year-old girl, who was playing in a swing fashioned out of a saree, died of suffocation after the saree got knotted and choked her. The victim Parveen Bhanu died while playing at her house before dinner on Thursday night. The incident occurred at Siraguppa town, about 55 km from Ballari. She was a Class 7 student Shantiniketan school.

According to the Siraguppa police, no family member was present at the house when the incident occurred. The saree twisted quickly as she was swinging and choked the girl’s neck, and she was unable to stop, scream or get down, police said. 

“She died due to suffocation. This is a very rare incident,” said Siraguppa Inspector Chandan Gopal. Police have registered a case of unnatural death.

Parveen was the daughter of driver Chand Basha, who breathed his last recently. According to her teachers, the child was a good student. This is the second unnatural death in the district within a few days. Earlier this week, a two-year-old child died after swallowing seeds in Kudligi district.

Medical experts termed the death rare. “The girl may have died of accidental ligature strangulation. In the last two decades, I have come across two to three such cases only.

Many times, women two-wheeler pillion riders have got injured or died after their dupatta got stuck in the wheel, which are again ligature strangulation cases,” said Gajanan Naik, head of forensics, KIMS Hospital.