Hopes dim as efforts to rescue boy continue

Rescue personnel were able to dig a parallel tunnel up to 80 feet to rescue the boy who fell into a borewell three days ago in Sulekeri village of the taluk.

Sucking machines were used to remove the soil which had fallen on the hands of Thimmanna (6), the lone son of farmer Hanumappa. The operation to lift the boy from a depth of 160 feet using a robot developed by Manjegowda of Mandya has failed.
 However, another team of Manikantan from Tamil Nadu is now making attempts to lift the boy with the help of a robot. The work on digging the parallel tunnel picked up pace on Tuesday with the deployment of heavy earthmoving machines.

Meanwhile, the father of the boy appealed the authorities to stop the rescue work if his son was not alive. “ Hanumanthappa has appealed to stop the rescue operation since he has lost his son and it would be difficult to lead his life if his land is also destroyed during rescue operation,” district in-chare minister S R Patil said.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department has suspended the assistant executive engineer and the Panchayat Development Officer in connection with the incident.

The AEE Eshwara B Kura- bagatti and the PDO Shaukat Ali Murnal have both been suspended, pending a departmental inquiry against them for dereliction of duty, according to a press note issued by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil.