Girl death: Hyderabad civic body to face case for negligence in covering drains

HYDERABAD: Neredmet police, who are investigating the death of 12-year-old Sumedha Kapuria, are likely to alter sections under which the case has registered  — from missing case to Section 304(A), of causing death due to negligence.

The case would be against the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) now. This development comes as police recorded the statements of Sumedha’s parents, Sukanya and Abhijit, on Saturday after the last rites of the girl were conducted at the Malkajgiri graveyard. 

The parents are understood to have levelled allegations against the GHMC of failing to cover up open drains at Deen Dayal Nagar, where Sumedha fell into an open drain on Thursday when she had gone out for cycling. Her body was found floating in a nearby lake the next day. Sumedha’s parents also demanded that the State government take strict action to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. 

"The suffering due to the incident in inexplicable. We always treated her with utmost love and never subjected her to even mild punishment. To think that our daughter drowned in a nala and the pain she must have gone through breaks our heart. We request the government to identify all open nalas (drains) that pose threat to people and close them immediately to prevent such incidents in future," Abhijit said while speaking to the media. 

Recalling his last memory with Sumedha on the fateful day, Abhijit said that his daughter had asked him to bring some snacks that she would eat after coming back home from cycling. But minutes after she left home, the incident took place. 

Sumedha’s last message to friends — "Good evening!"

Sumedha and her classmates had created a WhatsApp group to stay in touch regularly as schools have been closed due to the lockdown. In the group, some schoolteachers had also been added to monitor the group’s activities. Sumedha’s last message to her friends in the group was ‘Good evening!’.

Some of her classmates and teachers were present for the 12-year-old girl’s final rites. Expressing shock over the incident, teachers said that Sumedha was an active student who would take part in all school activities and was a topper in all subjects. 

SHRC directs GHMC chief to submit report

Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) issued a notice to the GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar, directing him to submit a report by November 13 regarding the incident, based on a petition filed by advocate Venu Madhav. The petitioner alleged that there were no precautionary safety measures around the open drain which Sumedha fell into.

He appealed to the SHRC to direct the Telangana government to provide an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to Sumedha’s family and also direct gram panchayats, municipalities and Municipal Corporations to close all open drains.