Mysterious child death: Residents allege electrocution as cops await post-mortem reports

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Residents of a prestigious apartment in Gunjur, held a protest on Friday seeking an unbiased probe into the death of a nine-year-old girl who died under mysterious circumstances here.

The girl, Manasa Damerla, was found dead in the swimming pool inside the apartment complex around 7:30 pm on Thursday. She was a class 4 student and the only daughter of a private firm owner, Rajesh Kumar Damerla.

The family hailed from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Around 7:45 pm, a few residents found Manasa in the swimming pool and alerted her parents, following which she was rushed to a hospital where she was, unfortunately, declared 'brought dead.'

While it was assumed that the girl had died by drowning, the parents and residents suspect electrocution as the culprit.

The parents of the girl speculated that Manasa might have fallen into the pool after coming into contact with an electricity cable dangling from a light pole near the pool area.

Speaking to News Trail, Ankush, one of the residents who pulled out the girl using a wooden stick, claimed that there is no doubt that she died due to electrocution.

"The girl went near the pool to take out a plastic ball and fell into it after tripping on an electric wire," he said, adding that one of the residents had to switch off the Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) before reaching the girl.

Other residents alleged that they had complained to the property management on multiple occasions about the electricity cables lying near the pool.

The parents along with a few residents protested against the authorities and filed a complaint with the Varthur police on Thursday night. Following an inspection of the spot, the police registered a case of unnatural death in the incident.

The cops also retrieved the CCTV footage which showed Manasa taking a lift to enter the pool area in the premises. In the video, a joyful Manasa was seen wearing a blue backpack and pressing the button in the lift to reach the pool area.

"There have been claims of electrocution. However, there were no visible injury marks on her body. We are investigating the matter from all angles," a senior police officer said.

Manasa's father, Rajesh, said that she had left the house in the evening informing them that she was going out to play with her friends inside the premises.

"We want the police to ascertain the exact cause of the death and take action on those responsible. This should not happen to any other child," said an inconsolable father of the deceased girl.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield Division, Shivakumar Gunare, said that the exact cause will be known only after they receive the post-mortem report.

There are around 17 highrise towers and nearly 3,500 units ranging from singlebedroom to four-bedroom flats in the premises.

The swimming pool remains open to residents and is frequently in use, the residents said.

As of now, a MedicoLegal Case has been registered and further investigation is underway, the jurisdictional police said.