Boy dies after falling into open drain line in Delhi

New Delhi: The body of a seven-year-old boy was found in an open drain line in the Mustafabad area here on Sunday, days after he went missing from home, police said.

The incident, which took place on October 23, was caught on a CCTV camera, which helped police crack the case.

On October 24, a resident of the Chaman Park area in Indira Vihar lodged a complaint at Gokal Puri police station claiming that his son went missing under mysterious circumstances, police said.

"A missing report was registered immediately and teams were formed to look for the child," a senior police officer said.

During the investigation, it came to light that the boy went missing around 6 pm on October 23. Footage of CCTV cameras in the area was scanned, he said.

"The police team also informed nearby police stations of Loni and Ghaziabad. CCTV footage showed the boy roaming in the area after leaving his home at 5.23 pm on October 23," he said.

On Sunday, CCTV footage of the area near Rajdhani Public School, Babu Nagar, Mustafabad in Delhi near Shiv Vihar Tiraha was also checked. In the footage, a child walking on a footpath was seen falling into an open drain line around 5.50 pm on October 23. The police team rushed to the spot along with the boy's family, the officer said.

After a search, the boy's body was fished out from the 6-ft-deep drain, he said.

"The drain is covered with slabs but in some places, one-two slabs are missing. Two slabs were missing at the spot where the boy fell inside," an officer said.

Police said the body has been shifted to GTB Hospital for post-mortem examination.