A pit dug up by BWSSB and filled with water in Doddagollarahatti of Magadi Road proved fatal for a 28-month-old boy who fell into it and drowned.
Police said Karthik, a resident of Pipeline Road in Doddagollarahatti, went out of home to play when he tumbled into the pit between 8.45 am and 9.30 am and drowned.
The boy’s father Hanuman, a painter, filed a complaint with the Byadarahalli police blaming a Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) engineer and contractor for Karthik’s death.
Around 8.30 am, Hanuman left home to meet his employer to collect his salary. An hour later, Hanuman received a call from his wife Hamsa who informed him that their son Karthik was missing while playing outside their home as Hamsa was busy with household chores.
Hanuman rushed home and found Karthik floating in the pool of water that filled up the pit. Though Karthik was pulled out of the pit immediately, he was dead by then.
Hanuman told police that the BWSSB had dug the pit in front of is house for pipeline work and it was filled with water. He suspected that the pit must have been open while Karthik was walking out of the gate.
He accused BWSSB officials of not erecting a barricade or a sidewall around the pit to prevent people from falling inside, holding the officials responsible for his son’s death. Karthik was his only son.
“Pipeline-laying work was in progress at the said site. We are looking into the matter to ascertain if precautionary measures were put in place,” said a senior board official.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Laxman B Nimbargi said the Byadarahalli police has registered a case under IPC Section 304A for causing death due to negligence.
The boy’s funeral took place at Magadi Road graveyard. The BWSSB engineer and the contractor paid Hanuman Rs 25,000 to conduct the funeral.