Young boy's death: Pragathi Nagar colony president, watchman opened manhole 3 hours earlier, booked

HYDERABAD: Couple of days after four-year-old Midhun Reddy died after falling into an open manhole at NRI Colony in Pragathi Nagar, a complaint was filed against the colony president and watchman at the Bachuapally Police Station. A case was registered under section 304(A) after CCTV footage emerged that the duo had lifted the cover of the nala at around 8 am on September 5, 2023. Around athree hours later the boy Midhun came out of his house and slipped into a swollen nala and got washed away. His body was later fished out of Turka Cheruvu on Tuesday evening by DRF personnel.

The police initially registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC and handed over the body to family members. In the follow up investigation, the police checked the feed of the surveillance cameras and found the two individuals had removed the nala cover to allow water stagnated on the road to flow down and left the spot unattended. The police registered a case for endangering public life and a negligent act leading to death.

Midhun, was second son of pharma company employee Santosh Reddy, a native of Suryapet, and was studying in a kindergarten school. The family has been staying for five years in NRI Colony. The video footage of the child following a senior citizen and later slipping into the nala unnoticed went viral on social media.

Meanwhile the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) authorities cautioned civilians not to tamper with manhole covers as it endangered human lives. “Don’t open manhole covers during rains. It is a punishable offence under section 74 and other provisions of HMWSSB Act,” the Water Board said, adding that open manholes pose a threat to people.