Child’s mother in shock

Sheela Kapoore, the mother of Tanuja, the three-year-old girl who was killed after a school bus ran her over outside RN Gandhi High School at Tilak Nagar on Monday morning, has refused to accept that her daughter is no more.

Sheela Kapoore, the mother of Tanuja, the three-year-old girl who was killed after a school bus ran her over outside RN Gandhi High School at Tilak Nagar on Monday morning, has refused to accept that her daughter is no more.

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Neighbours said the child’s mother was finding it extremely hard to come to terms with the death.

“She cannot believe Tanuja is no more. She insists she is alive and pleads with us not to say she has passed away. She has been falling unconscious every half-an-hour,” said Kalawati Gaikwad, 64, Tanuja’s neighbour.

Mohan, Tanuja’s 11-year-old brother, said his mother was in shock and kept asking for Tanuja. “My mother came to the locality after the accident to pick up some clothes. I asked her to come home with me but she pushed me aside asking me who I was,” said Mohan, in tears. He was not allowed to see his sister after the accident.

Mohan’s five-year-old brother, Yogesh, has not been told about the accident. He said: “I do not know where my parents and Chakuli (Tanuja) are. Mohan keeps crying and when I ask him what happened, he won’t tell me.”

“We left for Nanded on January 19 for a festival and came back at 11 pm on Sunday. Chakuli (Tanuja) was so excited about coming back. But, the next morning this happened,” Mohan said.