Boy slips into open drain, dies

A 13-year-old boy, who was walking to a playground near his house in Rajendra Park Extension in west Delhi on Friday afternoon, slipped into an open drain and drowned, police officers probing the case said.

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Police said the deceased, identified as Vikas Singh, had just returned from school and stepped out to play at 3.45 pm when he fell into the drain. They said the area surrounding the drain was mushy with mud, and the teenager could not be rescued despite repeated attempts by passersby.

Officers said a preliminary inquiry revealed that the drain comes under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD), and that they have written to the agency. Police also said they will file a first information report (FIR) soon, and will invoke Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections pertaining to death by negligence.

PWD did not comment on the matter.

Giving details of the case, police said the boy was a Class 6 student at a nearby government school. His father works with a private firm in north Delhi, while his mother is a homemaker.