Kapil Mishra calls for inquiry to probe 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 here.

In a letter to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Mr 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 3 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,” the minister said in the letter.

Mr Mishra, however mentioned in the letter that he had sought a report from the 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.