Tamil Nadu: 8-year-old drowns in pit dug up for erecting pillar

THENI:  An 8-year-old girl allegedly drowned in a rainwater-filled pit dug up by panchayat authorities at Samathuvapuram at Odaipatti panchayat in Uthamapalayam in Theni district on Tuesday. The six-foot-deep pit, dug up for erecting a pillar, has been left open for the past one month, sources said.

The victim, M Hasini Rani, of Moolakadai in Andipatti, had come to her grandparents’ home with her father G Muthu Saravanan, mother M Karthigaa, and her brother M Raja Ganesh a few days ago.  

On Tuesday afternoon, Hasini had left home saying she is going out to play but did not return home even after a long time. Her family members started searching for her and eventually found her unconscious inside the pit near the common toilet of the settlement.  

The child was rushed to the Primary Health Centre at Odaipatti and later to the Government Hospital in Uthamapalayam, where she was declared brought dead. After an autopsy at the Government Medical College Hospital in Theni, the body was handed over to the child’s family on Wednesday.

Sources said four pits were dug up by a municipal contractor for erecting pillars for constructing a garden. The pits were dug up a month back and were not covered. Due to incessant rain, the pits got filled with rainwater. An anganwadi centre is also located near the pits and a lot of children frequent that area. 

Based on the father’s complaint, the Uthamapalayam police have registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC and have initiated a probe. Uthamapalayam DSP Sneha Gupta refused to disclose further details about the investigation.