Four-year-old Gurgaon boy crushed under van while defecating in open

A four-year-old boy was crushed by a pick-up van while he was defecating in open at Narsinghpur village in the Kherki Duala area on Saturday morning. The boy was relieving himself near the boundary wall of a vacant plot when the driver reversed the vehicle without noticing him.

The victim was identified as Aditya Mandal, son of Gabbar Mandal, a factory worker. The incident came just three days after he was admitted to school. Gabbar, who is from Munger in Bihar, lives in a rented accommodation at Narsinghpur and works for a private company. Aditya was the eldest of his two sons. He also has a daughter.

In his complaint to the police, Gabbar said his son had been relieving himself near the wall of a vacant plot when Roshan Singh, who drives a pick-up van owned by his landlord, turned on the ignition and reversed the vehicle. Gabbar said he shouted at the driver and tried to alert him that his son was right behind the vehicle, but he didn’t pay heed and rammed it into the wall. The boy was crushed under the wheels.

The boy sustained fatal injuries to his face and legs and died on the spot. Hearing his father’s screams, some residents rushed to the spot and caught hold of the driver. They handed him over to the police. Roshan is a native of Samastipur in Bihar.

In his complaint, Gabbar blamed Roshan’s negligent driving for the incident. An FIR under IPC sections 279 (rash driving or driving on public way) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) was filed at the Khwerki Daula police station and the driver was arrested.

Sub-inspector Naresh, the investigating officer in the case, confirmed the driver’s arrest. He said though the incident appears to be an accident, the police are probing all angles including personal rivalry and murder.

Gabbar said he would head to his village in Bihar after his son’s funeral. He said though there is a toilet at his residence, his children usually relieve themselves in an open drain near his house.