Case against amusement park for death due to negligence

A day after she drowned at the conclusion of what was supposed to be a day-out at an amusement park with the family, Salma Khan, a three-and-a-half-years-old, was cremated on Saturday evening.

A day after she drowned at the conclusion of what was supposed to be a day-out at an amusement park with the family, Salma Khan, a three-and-a-half-years-old, was cremated on Saturday evening.

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The daughter of Mohammad Alam Khan, a businessman who is understood to be based in Saudi Arabia and was visiting his family in southeast Delhi's Shahin Bagh area with his wife and daughter, Salma died after drowning in a four-foot-deep swimming pool at the Fun 'n' Food Village in southwest Delhi's Kapashera on Friday evening.

“The incident was reported around 6.30pm on Friday. She was accompanied by her parents. We have registered a case of causing death due to negligence against the management of the amusement park,” said AK Ojha, deputy commissioner of police (southwest).

Police said the incident occurred when instead of jumping into the two-foot-deep pool, meant for children of her age, a confused Salma jumped into the shallow-end of the adjacent 'adult pool'.

Sources claimed the management of the said amusement park was ascertained to be culpable for her death since, as per eyewitnesses, a lifeguard stationed near the said pool witnessed her jumping into the pool - but made no effort to stop or rescue the victim.

“She was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. Her body was handed-over to her family after the post-mortem examination was conducted at the same hospital around 1.30 pm,” said a senior police officer investigating the incident.

Shrouded in a white cloth as her father clutched her inert body, the family's women merely watched from their residence on the fifth floor as they beat their chests in moaning; watching her being driven-away to the adjacent Batla House cemetery. We are in the process of obtaining reports from swimming pool experts in addition to the FSL report before criminal proceedings can be initiated,” DCP Ojha added.