10-month-old swallows beedi in Karnataka's Mangaluru, dies next day; negligence complaint filed against father

The child’s mother has filed a police complaint blaming her husband for negligence.

A 10-month-old baby in Karnataka died after swallowing a piece of beedi that had been carelessly discarded at home. 

In her complaint to the Mangaluru Rural Police, the mother said she had repeatedly warned her husband. (Unsplash)

The child’s mother has filed a police complaint blaming her husband for negligence, officials said on Tuesday.

According to a report by Indian Express, the infant, Anish Kumar, was the son of a couple from Bihar who had been living in the Adyar locality of Mangaluru. The incident took place around 1.30 pm on June 14, when the baby reportedly ingested the tobacco product. 

The parents rushed him to Wenlock Hospital nearly two hours later, where doctors attempted intensive treatment. Despite efforts to revive him, the child succumbed the next morning, around 10:25 am on June 15, the report added.

In her complaint to the Mangaluru Rural Police, the mother said she had repeatedly warned her husband, who works as a decorator for weddings, not to leave beedi stubs around the house. 

“I told him several times not to throw beedi pieces where the child could find them, but he didn’t listen. Now our child has died because of his careless disposal of beedis at home,” she stated according to the publication.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Authorities are examining whether the father’s actions amount to criminal negligence.

Further legal action will depend on the outcome of the inquiry, police added.