Parents cry murder

Rubiyan (8) and Arjun (11), the two ragpicker children, who died after falling into an open sewer on Friday, were the sole bread-winners for their family.

Rubiyan (8) and Arjun (11), the two ragpicker children, who died after falling into an open sewer on Friday, were the sole bread-winners for their family.

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Their friend Sonu, who had also fallen into the sewer, is fighting for his life at a local hospital.

But 24 hours after the incident no one knows how the three ended up in the sewer in a residential colony.

Rubiyan and Arjun’s families are still in shock over the incident. They allege that unidentified drunken men pushed the three into the sewer.

“It was the men who killed our children. My son just said no to them when they asked him to bring water for alcohol. They punished him by throwing him into the open sewer,” said Aarti, Arjun’s mother.

The police are still probing the matter. DCP (Northwest) NS Bundela said, “Initially Sonu said that they were pushed into the sewer by drunken men. But there are no eyewitnesses to ascertain this. We are investigating the matter.”

Two constables Vijay Singh and Ram Prakash, who jumped in to save the kids, also became ill after inhaling the gases.

The police said that the children had entered the locked premises to collected garbage when they were attacked.

The children were taken to Ambedkar Hospital where Rubiyan was declared brought dead and Arjun died later. All three victims are residents of Jahangirpuri.

“Rubiyan was very responsible. He knew that he had to work for his family,” said Shadab, a relative. An anguished Aarti said, “They killed three innocent children.”