Mumbai: Six-year-old boy drowns in pit, cousin takes own life due to grief

Pit dug as part of a railway project. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

The residents of Mahatma Phule Nagar, Mankhurd mourned the loss of two individuals, a six-year-old boy who drowned in a 9 ft pit, and his cousin's brother, who allegedly took his own life due to the unbearable grief. The Vashi Government Railway Police (GRP) filed an FIR against the supervisor responsible for the pit's maintenance and apprehended two suspects involved. Both the victim's grandmother and residents accused the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) of negligence, holding it accountable for the tragic incident.

"The pothole was dug by the MRVC and they had not placed any signboards, nor was a watchman appointed in the area. Today it was my grandchild, tomorrow it could be someone else. We demand strict action against all the alleged accused," said Sulochana Shegavkar, the grandmother of the victim.

Six-year-old boy Ayush Shegavkar who fell in the pit

"The MRVC had dug a pit as it was a part of the railway redevelopment project, we are investigating the matter," Said MRVC PRO Sunil Udasi.

The matter had come to light on April 21, when Ayush Shegavkar, 6, and his friends went to play and they fell into a 9ft pothole which was dug by MRVC for the construction of the metro. The boys got trapped in the pothole and a passerby at the railway station pulled them out. However, Ayush Shegavkar drowned and the doctors at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi declared him dead on arrival.

Shailesh Shegavkar, the deceased

Shailesh Shegavkar, 25, the cousin brother of the victim, couldn't bear the loss and hence took his life suicide by standing on the railway tracks between Mankhurd and Chembur.

"We had received information that someone died by suicide. During the investigation, it was revealed that Ayush had asked Shailesh for a mobile phone. However, because he was unemployed afford a phone. He thought this was the reason he decided to take the extreme step," said an officer from Vashi railway station.

Sulochana Shegavkar, The victim's grandmother

"The pit is full of water and there are no safety measures in place. Small children have no place to play in the area and hence they might have gone there to play. It is extremely dangerous. We request the railway authorities to install appropriate safety measures," said a resident of Mahatma Phule Nagar.

"The Vashi GRP have registered a case against three people and arrested the accused supervisor, an engineer in charge of the maintenance and another individual," said senior police inspector Sambhaji Katare.

9 ft
Depth of the pit