Born after five years of ‘mannat’, toddler dies in freak accident

Nagpur: A two-and-half-year-old girl was killed when a pickup van ran over her while she was playing outside her home on Tuesday in Majri area. Ikara Khan, born five years after her parents prayed to god in desperation to bless them with a baby, was the only child of her parents.

“We had spent five years praying for a baby, also asking for ‘mannat’, and then Ikara was born. We had gone through a lot of hard times, including during her birth, and now everything is finished,” said a close kin. Ikara’s relatives told TOI she had to be kept in an incubator as she had been born prematurely, in the seventh month of her mother’s pregnancy.

Cops said Ikara was playing in her house when she suddenly went outside, and was run over by the pickup van. The road outside her house is very narrow, and the driver was speeding when the accident happened. The driver, Imran Sheikh, abandoned the vehicle at the spot and fled.

Ikara’s aunt Rihana heard her scream, and ran out of the house. She saw Ikara lying on the ground with blood flowing out of her ears. A few minutes later, owner of the pickup van Aslam Siddiqui, who runs a shop in the area, reached the accident spot. He took the injured Ikara to a private hospital along with Rihana on a two-wheeer.

“Aslam kept telling me to tell the doctors that Ikara had fallen down from a building while playing. He claimed this way they will treat her faster. I initially told doctors the same thing, however, later I told the truth to the police on being advised by other family members,” said Rihana.

“From the private hospital, Ikara was referred to Mayo. While I took Ikara inside Mayo Hospital, Aslam said he will come after parking the vehicle. However, he never returned,” said Rihana.

Ikara was pronounced brought dead by doctors at Mayo hospital.

“This is the worst day in our life. The chirag of our home has died without any mistake of hers. We had brought her up like a flower as she was born like a gift from god,” said Ikara’s grandfather.

Yashodhara Nagar police have registered a case of death due to negligence and rash driving against driver Imran Sheikh.