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Kerala HC takes suo motu case after child falls into drain in Kochi
A day after a three-year-old child, while walking with his mother, fell into an open drain in Panambally Nagar area in Kochi and miraculously escaped due to timely intervention of the local residents, the Kerala high court on Friday registered a suo motu case
A day after a three-year-old child, while walking with his mother, fell into an open drain in Panambally Nagar area in Kochi and miraculously escaped due to timely intervention of the local residents, the Kerala high court on Friday registered a suo motu case.
After registering a case, justice Devan Ramachandran pulled up the Kochi corporation. Secretary of Kochi corporation Babu Abdul Khadar appeared before the court on Friday afternoon, tendered an apology and gave an assurance that all drains in the city will be covered within two weeks. Later, the court posted the case for further hearing on December 2.
“Imagine if something would have happened to the child today, consequences would have been graver. It is a providential grace this court is not faced with such a situation which would have been horrendous,” the judge observed. The city is not only for adults, but also for children, old and infirm, the court noted. Two weeks back the court had pulled up the corporation for not providing the pedestrian passage along important roads in the city.
The court also directed the Ernakulam district collector to supervise the covering of open drains and pits in the city and submit a report. The incident happened on Thursday evening when the child was walking with his mother and suddenly slipped into an open drain. Immediately the mother cried for help and got down into the drain, saved the child who was about to drown. Later, the local residents helped both in coming out and rushed them to a nearby hospital. Kochi mayor Anil Kumar said the corporation will bear all the expenses of boy’s treatment.
