Mumbai: Eighteen-month-old boy still missing, search operation called off

MUMBAI: Mystery surrounded over the issue of opening of cement lids at Goregaon (East) in which a year-and-half year old boy fell on Wednesday, the BMC claimed that an unknown person seen opening the drain covered with cement lids on July 1 in CCTV footage. The police said that they are examining the footage submitted by the BMC to ascertain the facts.
The boy is still missing in the drain network and fire brigade stopped search operation on Friday evening.
A civic official stated that CCTV footage showing an unknown person removing one of the cement lids on July 1 and pushing it toward electric box.
The BMC conducting inquiry in the incident. A senior civic officer said, "We collected the CCTV footage showing an unknown man opening the lids on July 1. It is very unfortunate incident involving an innocent life and we shared the footage with police requested them to take further action."
Civic officials stated that the visual is showing BMC worker removing the drain cover on June 29 to clear the drain network and the worker fixed the cover again. After two days, on July 1, due the visual showing someone removing the lids mostly to clear the rain water. However, civic officials claimed that the man’s face is not visible in the footage.
DCP Vinay Rathod said, "BMC submitted an application with some footage. We also have collected some footage during inquiry. We will study both the footage to reach on conclusion to decide further action."
Meanwhile the boy’s relatives demanded quick action in the incident and visited the Dindoshi police station on Friday. They also denied any information about the removal of lids captured in the CCTV footage. Boy’s uncle Sandeep Singh said, "BMC cleaned the drain on other end and not the spot where the incident took place. Also, the lids were lying inside the drain when the incident took place and had been removed afterwards."
The eighteen-month-old Divyansh Singh had ventured out on Wednesday evening alone. When his mother realised it, she looked around and found his footwear near the drain. The family approached a mosque in the vicinity as it had put up cameras. The CCTV footage showed Divyansh standing near the drain and accidentally slipping in. Fire brigade with the help of NDRF searching for Divyansh in the drain and in nallahs to which it connects since last three days but in vain.