Mahi’s mother attempts suicide as accused gets bail

Two days after a court granted bail to the owner of the plot where Mahi died after falling in a borewell, the four-year-old's mother attempted suicide by consuming rat poison.

Two days after a court granted bail to the owner of the plot where Mahi died after falling in a borewell, the four-year-old's mother attempted suicide by consuming rat poison.

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"She consumed rat poison, but timely intervention by family members saved her life," said Mahi's father Neeraj Updhyay, who resumed work as a security guard at a Manesar firm.

Mahi had died after falling into an illegal 70 feet deep borewell in front of her house at Manesar around three months ago. However, the magisterial inquiry committee is yet to submit its report in the case.

The magisterial probe was to be completed within 15 days after the incident, which took place on June 20. Last week, Rohtas Tayal, the landlord on whose plot the borewell was situated, was granted bail by a Gurgaon court.

Appalled at the authority’s apathy which has failed to expedite the inquiry and compensate the family, Mahi’s mother Sonia Upadhyay attempted suicide. The family had returned to their village in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district after Mahi's body was pulled out of the 68-foot borewell, nearly 85 hours after she fell into it.

"Despite Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announcing before the media that my family will be adequately compensated, not a single penny has been paid to me," said a distraught Neeraj.

"I earn Rs. 5,500 and need to take care of my wife and a two-year-old daughter. I also look after my elder brother's family as he is no more," he said. Additional deputy commissioner KM Pandurang said, "I will file my report tomorrow.”