NHRC issues notice to Rajasthan govt over boy’s death in bore-well

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government after taking suo motu cognisance of a media report about the death of a five-year-old boy on December 11 after being trapped in a 150-feet-deep bore-well for nearly 56 hours in Dausa district.

The boy allegedly fell in the bore-well while playing in a field, the Commission said while seeking details of the action taken against the lax public authorities. The Commission observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. “It seems that the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and the Centre are not being followed by the authorities to prevent such unfortunate incidents/fatal accidents of small children falling into open/abandoned bore-wells and tube-wells. This apparent negligence not only amounts to dereliction of duty on their part but also tantamount to violation of the people's right to life,” said the NHRC.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, calling for a detailed report in the matter within two weeks. The NHRC said the report from the Chief Secretary and the police chief should include the status of the FIR registered in the matter, action taken against the responsible public authorities and compensation, if any, provided to the next of kin of the deceased. According to the media report, carried on December 12, the minor was pulled out of the borewell with a rope in an unconscious state. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

In another case, the Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that a 10-year-old child was transfused with the wrong blood type while undergoing treatment at the JK Lone Hospital of the Sawai Man Singh Medical College (SMS), Jaipur. The Commission has sought a report from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, within two weeks. “It is expected to include the status of health of the victim child, FIR, action taken against the responsible persons and compensation, if any, provided to the aggrieved by the authorities,” the notice said.

The child is reported to be in a critical condition with ventilator support. Allegedly, the boy was transfused with two different blood types on December 5, 2024 and December 7, 2024. The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the boy. Reportedly, a 23-year-old patient lost his life at the SMS hospital, Jaipur only a few months back. Two reported cases of negligence in blood transfusion at the same government-run medical facilities are indeed shocking and are a matter of concern for the Commission, said the notice.