Five children die at Indore shelter home over three days, 31 hospitalised
Indore, July 2: As many as five children have died at a shelter home here over the last three days while 31 other inmates have been hospitalised, prompting the Madhya Pradesh government to order a high-level inquiry.
While the exact reasons for the deaths were yet to be ascertained, food poisoning could be among the causes, a doctor said.
More than 204 children, including orphans and those suffering from mental ailments, were housed at `Bal Ashram' shelter home of Shri Yugpurush Dham, NGO, in Malharganj police station limits, an official said.
A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) was transferred after a video showing him laughing during a probe into the deaths surfaced on social media.
While Shubh (8) died on Sunday after suffering from seizures, Karan (12), Akash (7), Chhota Govind (5) and Rani (11) died over the last two days, officials said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Alok Kumar Sharma said the exact cause of deaths will be known once post-mortem reports arrive.
A total of 31 children are admitted to the Government Chacha Nehru Children's Hospital at present.
Hospital superintendent Dr Preeti Malpani said the children started vomiting and suffering from diarrhea after dinner on Monday night.
"At first glance, it seems their health deteriorated due to food poisoning," she said.
Indore district collector Ashish Singh visited the hospital.
"According to the doctors, it appears to be a case of food poisoning. A team led by the additional district magistrate and including doctors and officials of the food department has been sent to Bal Ashram for investigation," Singh said.
Following the uproar caused by the death of children, a joint team of various departments of the administration reached Bal Ashram and started an investigation.
Additional district magistrate Rajendra Singh Raghuvanshi said a detailed investigation of the shelter was underway.
"Appropriate action will be taken if the investigation finds any negligence on the part of its directors," he said.
A team from the food department also collected samples of food and foodstuffs from the ashram and sent them for testing.
The management of Shri Yugpurush Dham has written to the Child Welfare Committee, claiming that ten of its inmates have "blood infection". The administration has not yet verified the claim, it was stated.
Meanwhile, a video showing sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Omnarayan Singh Badkul purportedly laughing and joking during the investigation surfaced on social media, drawing strong reactions.
Eyewitnesses said that Badkul was allegedly seen laughing and joking with the principal of the ashram and other officials.
Subsequently, district magistrate Ashish Singh removed Badkul from the post of SDM and posted him at the district election office, sources said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, condoled the deaths.
"The news of the untimely death of 4 innocent children of Indore's orphanage is heartbreaking. I pray to Baba Mahakal to grant peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery of all the seriously ill children," he stated.
The death of a fifth child was confirmed after the CM posted the message.
A high-level committee has been formed to investigate this tragic incident and the Malharganj SDM has been removed from his post for his insensitive behaviour, he added in the post.
इंदौर के अनाथ आश्रम के 4 मासूम बच्चों के असामयिक निधन का समाचार ह्रदय विदारक है।
— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) July 2, 2024
मैं बाबा महाकाल से दिवंगत बच्चों की आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करने तथा गंभीर रूप से बीमार सभी बच्चों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की प्रार्थना करता हूँ।
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
