5-year-old boy drowns in pit in Navi Mumbai

Police say Rajeev Sardar was playing when he slipped and fell into the pit, which was at a construction site

A five-year-old boy drowned in a pit at a construction site in Kharghar on Monday.

A five-year-old boy drowned in a construction site pit in Kharghar on Monday.(HT File Photo/Used for representational purpose)

According to the police, Rajeev Sardar was playing near the pit in Sector 36. His father Tarun, 34, worked as a contract labourer at the site.

“There were no other people with the boy. At one point the boy lost his balance and slipped into the pit. Some people spotted him in the water and rushed him to a hospital. He was declared dead there,” said a police officer from Kharghar police station.

Pradeep Tidar, senior inspector of Kharghar police station, said, “The pit was barely three-feet deep and was dug a couple of days ago. The boy died because he was too small.”

“We are now investigating to find out if there was any negligence on the part of the builder or the contractor. If we find any trace of such negligence we will take legal action against the people responsible.”

Rajiv’s body was handed over to his family after post-mortem. The police have registered an accidental death case.