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Chhattisgarh govt begins probe into boy`s death due to `sunstroke`
The Chhattisgarh Government has initiated an inquiry into the death of a five-year-old boy due to `dehydration and sunstroke` in the forests of Surguja district with Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday terming the incident as `horrific`.
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Government has initiated an inquiry into the death of a five-year-old boy due to "dehydration and sunstroke" in the forests of Surguja district with Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday terming the incident as "horrific".
Opposition Congress has alleged that the boy died of starvation.
"On the direction of Chief Minister Raman Singh, Surguja district collector Ritu Sen has appointed sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Sitapur, MS Bhagat to probe the incident," an official statement stated here today.
The official will investigate the circumstances which led to the death of Shiv Kumar Manjhi.
Manjhi died while his brother fell ill after they got separated from their father in the forests when they were going to their relative's place in Sitapur police station area on Thursday.
Sen had confirmed that Manjhi died of dehydration and heatstroke, however, the Congress claimed the death was due to starvation.
Meanwhile, in his condolence message Singh said it is a horrific incident.
"I am deeply saddened about it. I express my deep condolence?towards the bereaved family," he said and directed the officials to extend every possible assistance to the victim's family.
Manjhi's body was found on Friday morning in the forests under Sitapur police station.
A native of village Naramadapur near Mainpat, Mangat Ram Manjhi along with his three sons - Shiv Kumar, Shankar Ram, 5, and Rajaram, 9, had gone to Sitapur on Wednesday to visit a relative.
Next day in the afternoon they were heading towards a nearby village on foot to visit another relative via forests during which the children got separated from their father, the collector had said.
When the incident came to light on Friday, police took stock of it and also traced the other child lost in the jungle.
Sen said the postmortem report of the child has confirmed Manjhi died due to exposure to sun and dehydration and ruled out death due to starvation.
However, Congress has constituted a probe committee alleging Manjhi died of starvation.
The five-member committee of Congress, led by former minister Premsai Singh, will visit the victim's village to take stock of incident, state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said yesterday.