Kolkata: Minor boy drowns in waterbody, parents lodge complaint against Eco Park authorities

KOLKATA: Parents of four and a half year old Md Owais, who died in a watery grave after falling in an algae covered pond at Eco Park’s Childrens’ Park on Saturday, possibly mistaking it as an extension of a sloping green turf, lodged a complaint of negligence against the HIDCO chairman Debashis Sen and senior officials of Eco Park on Sunday.
In a complaint signed by the child’s mother, Sultana Parveen, the parents alleged "criminal negligence and breach of trust" on part of Eco Park authorities and blamed that because of "lack of security and sufficient warning" her son died.
"It’s a case of criminal negligence and breach of trust that led to the death of my son. He drowned in the pond due to complete lack of security and safety and sufficient warning system and negligence on the part of the Eco Park authority, its chairman Debashis Sen and its security officer and staff," the parents wrote in the complaint.
The parents told the cops that after the child had gone missing and they had approached the Eco Park authorities for help, none of them had alerted them about the water body, they didn't even try to search him by deploying a diver. There were no sign boards too, warning parents about the impending danger.
"The security staff only blamed the mother for losing our child and after repeated coaxing made some announcement about our missing son. They did not search the water body even for once. Isn’t that a criminal offence? Had they been not so negligent and alerted us about the water body beforehand or even deployed a diver immediately after we reported about the missing child, Owais could have been saved," said Akram Khan, a relative.
Officers of New Town police station accepted the complaint but did not frame any charges till late on Sunday. "We have received the complaint and have begun an enquiry," a senior officer of Bidhannagar Commissionerate said.
State urban development minister Firhad Hakim said even he has sought for an internal enquiry into the incident. "It’s a very tragic incident. I have asked Debashis Sen to investigate into the incident and find out if there were enough guards at the spot when the accident had happened. I have also asked them to fence off all such water bodies inside the amusement park," Hakim said.