The Hindu : New Delhi News : Court asks NDMC to pay compensation for boy’s death

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Court asks NDMC to pay compensation for boy’s death

‘Children should not be treated as mature adults’
The victim’s body was found in a drain 20 km away from the lake

New Delhi: Civic agencies which maintain lakes should take steps to avoid mishaps as children get tempted to take a dip in them despite warnings, a court here has said while asking NDMC to pay Rs.2 lakh relief to a 13-year-old boy’s family for his death in a freak incident.

Pramod Kumar alias Monu, a class VII student, who was having a bath in Sanjay Lake here in south Delhi on April 10, 1995, died as an NDMC gardener opened a sluice valve to drain out the water that led to the sucking of his body into a drain.

Warning

“Incidents of children from poor families coming to play at the lake and taking a dip are not rare despite warning and notice pasted all over. Therefore, it is all the more necessary for those manning the area around the lake to ensure that before the valve is opened the area is physically inspected,” Additional District Judge Kamini Lau said.

The boy’s parents approached the court, alleging there was negligence in opening of the valve on part of the NDMC employee, which caused the death of their son. The victim’s body was found in a drain 20 km away from the lake.

Accepting their plea, the court found negligence on the part of the NDMC and said that it should have observed precaution as children should not be treated as mature adults. The NDMC had, however, denied the charges saying that sluice valve was not opened and operated by the gardener on the fateful day.- PTI

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