Hyderabad schoolgirl tragedy: Birthday plans crushed under speeding wheels

HYDERABAD:  It was just another day for Naresh Jain as he plied the Chapel road on Friday to drop his eight-year-old daughter to school until a water tanker passed by his scooty, splashing water all over them. In a bid to prevent his daughter, Dia’s uniform from getting wet from the tanker’s water, which spilled due to an open cap, Naresh tried to overtake the massive vehicle. What happened next will continue to haunt him for the better part of his life. 

While aboard the scooty, Dia was discussing plans for her birthday coming up on March 27. Unlike other children her age, Dia wished to distribute food and books among orphaned kids to mark her birthday celebrations. “It was her wish to celebrate her birthday with orphaned children rather than purchasing gifts for herself. We adults usually prefer donations and charity during festivals but she wanted to celebrate her birthday the same way,” said Dia’s grandfather Nemichand Jain. 

While Dia’s body was preserved at the mortuary at Osmania General Hospital, her father Naresh Kumar Jain was admitted to a private hospital in Ramkoti. A huge crowd gathered at the hospital following the mishap. 

Following the lethal mishap, the Jain community leaders said that they have brought the issue to the notice of Hyderabad Addl. Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumar seeking a ban on heavy vehicles near schools -- at least during the school hours -- especially on roads like the Chapel road which are flanked by schools on both sides.