Kapil Mishra for magisterial probe into boy's death

Delhi Water minister Kapil Mishra on Saturday recommended a magisterial probe into the death of a nine-year-old boy who drowned after falling into a ditch filled with rainwater near his home in Burari area.

In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Mishra has recommended an inquiry to be conducted by the area District Magistrate, ADM or SDM as considered appropriate and report submitted by July 27.

Jastin Masih, a class III student at a local private school who lived with his parents at Himgiri apartment near Burari Authority office, drowned on Thursday after falling into an open pit allegedly dug up by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in a field in North Delhi’s Burari area.

“The incident is extremely unfortunate and sad. At the same time, it was purely avoidable. Surely, such lapses, which have the potential of endangering lives of citizens, cannot be allowed to go unpunished. Truth must be come out and responsibility fixed for this lapse.

“Though the child cannot be brought back to life but it must be our endeavour to ensure that such incidents do not recur. It is, therefore, essential to find out the agency/official responsible for this lapse so that corrective steps can be taken,” the minister said in the letter.

Mishra, however mentioned in the letter that he had sought a report from DJB over the incident and it was reported by the board that “the site in question was handed over to NDPL for construction of a sub station about a year ago”.

He further said steps, which are required to be taken to prevent recurrence of such incident in future, should also be included in the terms of reference of the probe committee.

Meanwhile, police said Jastin was playing with his friends when they ran to catch a kite and the boy could not see the ditch filled with rainwater and fell into it.

Later, when other children raised an alarm, Jastin was taken out and rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

A case of negligence has been registered in this connection on a complaint filed by the boy’s parents.