Mumbai: Bhandup boy falls to death in open gutter

One-and-a-half-year-old Krishna Gupta; (right) The open gutter that Krishna fell into and drowned. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

An 18-month-old boy in Bhandup reportedly fell into an open, waterlogged gutter near his home and died. The incident has sparked anger among residents, who allege that despite repeated complaints to BMC officials about the choked and overflowing gutter, no action was taken. The boy, Krishna Gupta, went missing on November 10, and his family, in a frantic search, discovered his body in the gutter near Maurya Hall, Gavdevi. Efforts to revive him at the hospital were in vain, with doctors declaring him dead on arrival.

The parents of the boy approached the police station, reporting their one-and-a-half-year-old son missing. "The parents said their son, Krishna Gupta, was missing from their residence. Upon checking, a relative of the victim found him in a gutter near Maurya Hall in Bhandup. He was rushed to the hospital; however, doctors declared him dead before admission. We have registered an accidental death report in this matter," said a police officer.

According to Omprakash Maurya, a neighbour of the victim, Krishna had gone to play and suddenly disappeared. "Krishna stayed with his parents on the first floor while his grandmother lived on the ground floor. He had gone to play with his siblings, but they came back saying they couldn't find Krishna. The parents then approached the police station to report him missing. Meanwhile, the grandmother checked the gutter and discovered that Krishna had fallen in," he told mid-day. Locals suspect that the gutter contained 4-5 feet of water and was completely choked with plastic and other debris.

The local residents had raised complaints about the open gutter, contacting authorities as recently as November 9, a day before the incident. "We had always raised objections over the open gutter. Now that Krishna is dead, they've come to cover it, but he's never coming back. We just want justice," said Maurya. Krishna Gupta is survived by two siblings. His parents own a tea stall in Bhandup. BMC officials did not respond to multiple calls for comment.

The BMC stated that the major drain on Gaondevi Road is largely open, but at certain points, local residents have covered it for convenience. The victim's family reportedly encroached and covered part of the drain, leaving a small opening for a home waste pipe outlet. It is believed that the child fell through this opening. Ward and SWD staff have inspected the site.