Agra Shocker: 5-Year-Old Sick Girl Dies of 'Starvation', Say Reports; NHRC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Case
The human rights body, in a statement issued on Sunday, said it has taken cognisance of the tragic death of the minor. The NHRC is expected to seek report from the state government on the alleged medical apathy and lack of implementation of welfare schemes.
Agra, August 23: A 5-year-old girl, who was sick, died due to "starvation" in a village in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, reports said. The shocking incident was reported from Nagla Vidhichand village, where the deceased lived with her parents - both of whom were unemployed. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of media reports. 'India's Economic Mismanagement Will Destroy Millions of Families': Rahul Gandhi Continues Tirade Against Modi Govt.
The human rights body, in a statement issued on Sunday, said it has taken cognisance of the tragic death of the minor. The NHRC is expected to seek report from the state government on the alleged medical apathy and lack of implementation of welfare schemes.
The deceased child, identified as Sonia, was reeling under fever for the last three days, neighbours claimed. Her mother, Sheela Devi, took the blame for her death upon herself saying that the girl died as she was not able to provide food to her.
"I could not get her any food. She had been growing weak. She had a fever for three days. And now, I have lost her," Times Now reported her sas saying. Sheela had similarly lost her son four years ago due to "starvation", the report claimed, stating that the family was then left cash-strapped due demonetisation of November 2016.
Sheela's husband is bed-ridden since he suffered from tuberculosis. While speaking to reporters, she said that she was fearful of losing him as well as the family has "no money" to arrange for his treatment.
Hemant Gautam, a neighbour of the family, was reported as saying that the district administration failed to provide help to the bereaved family despite being informed about their plight.
Prabhu N Singh, the district magistrate, said an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the reason behind her demise and action would be taken if any official is found as negligent. He told reporters that the family's decision to bury the body without informing the authorities was regretful as an autopsy would had confirmed the exact cause of death.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Secretary Amit Singh visited the village after learning about the incident. He pinned the blame on Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state, alleging that the family was not provided free ration, PG cylinder and "not even Rs 1,000" which the state has claimed to have disbursed to labourers amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2020 09:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).