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Kerala HC takes suo motu cognisance after child falls into open drain in Kochi
The incident happened on Thursday evening when the child was walking with his mother and suddenly slipped into an open drain
The Kerala high court on Friday took suo motu cognisance after a three-year-old child who was walking with his mother fell into an open drain in Panambally Nagar area of Kochi, and miraculously escaped because locals helped the mother pull him out.
After registering a case, justice Devan Ramachandran summoned the Kochi municipal corporation secretary Babu Abdul Khadar and others, who then tendered an apology and assured that all drains in the city will be covered within the next two weeks.
The court posted the case for next hearing on December 2.
“If something would have happened to the child today, the consequences would have been graver. It is providential grace [that] this court is not faced with such a situation which would have been horrendous,” the judge observed in his oral judgement, adding that the city was not only for adults, but also for children, old and infirm.
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. The mother cried for help and slipped into the drain to catch the child who was about to drown. Later, locals helped them both out and rushed them to a nearby hospital. Kochi mayor Anil Kumar said the corporation will bear all expenses of the boy’s treatment.
Two weeks back, the court had pulled up the corporation for not providing pedestrian passage along important roads in the city.
