A four-year-old boy drowned in an open water tank in a plot near his house in Thakurganj on Thursday evening. The boy’s father lodged an FIR against his neighbour, accusing him of not covering the tank and causing the death of his son. According to reports, the victim Vivek Kumar Rawat, a resident of Madhavpur, Thakurganj, was playing near his house when he slipped into the open water tank situated on the plot of one Vishal Kumar. His parents launched a search for him later in the night after the boy didn’t return home and found his body inside the water. He was rushed to a near-by hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The victim’s father Vinod Kumar Rawat, who runs a grocery store, said he had approached Vishal Kumar to cover the water tank several times in the past. “However, instead of covering it, Kumar threatened me and did not cover the tank intentionally, which eventually led to my son’s death.”

The victim’s father lodged an FIR against Vishal Kumar on Friday under section 304 of the IPC for culpable homicide. Thakurganj station officer (SO) SK Yadav said no arrests have been made so far and the matter was under investigation.