Efforts on to bring up body of boy who fell into borewell

A day after authorities called off nearly week-long operations to rescue a six-year-old boy from an abandoned borewell, who was confirmed dead, efforts today began to bring up the body through the borewell point itself.

Officials said work began at the site at nearby Sulikere this afternoon to bring the boy Thimanna's body up through the borewell point itself.

Meanwhile,the Advocate General has suggested that government conduct post-mortem and DNA test of the boy, declared dead after being trapped in the borewell in his father's farm, before taking a decision on closing the well.

After a nearly week-long massive round-the-clock rescue operation, the boy, who fell into the well on August 3, was confirmed dead yesterday by Belgaum Medical Research Institute and College Forensic laboratory chief.

District in-charge Minister S R Patil had yesterday said a decision to close the borewell in which the boy is trapped would be taken after getting the opinion of Advocate General, only after which the family members can conduct the boy, Thimmanna's final rites.

"AG's opinion was sought; he has said postmortem and DNA test (DNA test if required) of Thimmanna's body has to be done, and only after that a decision to close the borewell can be taken," Bagalkot Deputy Commissioner P A Meghannavar told reporters here today.

Authorities called off the operation yesterday involving about 500 persons, including teams from National Disaster Relief Force, Hutti gold mines from neighbouring Raichur district and fire brigade after an all party meeting and visit to the site by soil, medical and forensic experts.

Officials had yesterday said the land, where the operation was on to dig a pit-cum-tunnel to gain access to the boy reportedly stuck at a depth of about 160 feet in the 300 feet borewell, would be levelled to make it cultivable.