Family bids tearful farewell to 3.5yr-old who died in car fire

Indore: At the cremation ground on Sunday, Sanjay Bahediya broke down repeatedly, clutching the charred body of his three-and-a-half-year-old son Chirag, his voice collapsing under the weight of a moment he probably would never forget for the rest of his life.On Saturday, what had begun as a short outing in a newly-purchased pre-owned car with family ended in a horrific fire that killed the child within minutes in Indore's Simrol area.Sanjay, a mechanic by profession and a resident of Ralamandal, had bought the car just two days earlier. The family returned late Friday night from a wedding in Dhamnod and on Saturday morning, he decided to take Chirag out for a ride in the car, unaware it would become the child's last ride.In Simrol area on Indore-Ichhapur Road, a friend called Sanjay to repair a DJ vehicle. He parked the car by roadside, leaving Chirag seated inside with a window slightly open, and walked a short distance to inspect the vehicle.Within moments, smoke began rising from the parked car. Eyewitnesses said the smoke quickly turned into flames. A loud explosion followed, first from the battery and then the AC compressor, turning the vehicle into a fireball. The blaze spread so rapidly that within 10 to 15 minutes, the car was completely gutted.Hearing the explosion, Sanjay ran back towards the car, only to see it engulfed in flames with his son trapped inside. People nearby rushed to help, throwing water and sand, trying to break the windows, but the intensity of the fire made it impossible to get close.In a desperate attempt, Sanjay tried to jump into the flames, but those around him held him back. Helpless, he watched as the fire consumed the car and his child.Chirag's death has left the entire locality in shock. According to the family, the child was born after eight years of prayers and vows to ‘Shiva Baba'. Sanjay and his wife Meenu, who have been married for 12 years, also have a 10-year-old daughter, Muskan. The family was preparing to fulfil their vow in April.When Chirag's body was brought home after the postmortem examination, grief overwhelmed the neighbourhood. Police said preliminary findings point towards a possible short circuit as the cause of the fire.