4 days after sibling deaths in village, authorities still unaware

Ludhiana: Four days after two siblings — Ruby Kumari (4), and her brother Shiv Kumar (3) — died after allegedly falling in a water-filled pit near the shanties in their village, authorities are still unaware about the matter.
As per reports, migrant labourer Surinder Sharma, along with wife Reena Devi and four children (including two deceased) lived in the shanties in Iraq village and worked on the farms. On the day of the incident on February 4, Surinder had gone to work in the fields, while his wife got busy with household chores. Local sources said on that day, Ruby and her brother fell in the water-filled pit near their house while playing, and added that after seeing the duo in the pit, people living in the neighbouring shanties informed their mother.

A migrant labourer said by the time Reena reached the spot and brought her children out, they had already died. He added that Shiv was the only brother of three sisters, one of whom (Ruby) also died with him. The labourer said after the death of the two kids, a pall of gloom had descended on Surinder and Reena. Local sources said some villagers might have advised the couple to perform the last rites of the deceased, instead of getting into police investigations, and because of that, the couple buried their two children the same day.

Reena said after her two children died, her world had collapsed. Local sources said water from a neighbouring colony might have been accumulating in the pit, and added that ideally the pit should have been covered. Machiwara SHO, inspector Harwinder Singh, said they do not have any information about the death of two children in the village. Former sarpanch Manjeet Singh, however, confirmed the deaths of two children in the village.