The family of a 7-month-old baby in Andhra Pradesh, sat on a dharna with the dead body of their deceased child on Friday, April 15, after they alleged that their baby died due to police apathy.
The family living in Cherlopalli village near Kalyandurg in Andhra’s Anantapur district alleged that their ailing child, who they were rushing to the hospital died after the district police personnel stopped their auto-rickshaw from passing by for over 30 minutes despite knowing about the sick child. This, they said was done while the police were regulating traffic and barricading all the entry points for the victory convoy of the Women and Child Welfare Minister Usha Sricharan.
Superintendent of Police Fakkeerappa Kaginelli, contrary to the claims made by the affected family and videos emerging from the dharna spot in the night, refuted the allegations saying that no traffic was held up for the minister’s convoy.
According to the deceased infant’s parents, Ganesh and Irakka, they were taking their unwell child to the Rural Development Trust (RDT) hospital on Friday night in an autorickshaw. The parents said that at first, they had dialled 108 ambulances. However, when the ambulance did not turn up due to the restrictions, the couple decided to shift the girl to the RDT hospital in an auto.
On the same day, the newly sworn-in Women and Child Welfare Minister Usha Sricharan was visiting her constituency for the first time and a procession was organised to welcome her. The Satya Sai District police had imposed traffic restrictions and blocked vehicles to allow the procession of Kalyandurg Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA and cabinet minister.
The couple claimed that when they arrived in Kalyandurg, the traffic police stopped them. They begged the cops to let them go to the hospital because the girl’s condition was worsening. However, the unmoved cops only allowed traffic after the minister’s procession left the area, which took almost half an hour.
When the child arrived at the hospital, the doctor declared her brought dead. The distraught father of the 7-month-old infant claimed that the police’s half-hour delay cost his daughter’s life.
Reacting to the incident, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former CM, Chandrababu Naidu, questioned the ruling YSRCP government as why a sick baby was not allowed to reach the hospital on time. He slammed the ruling party, the police, and the administration.
అనంతపురం జిల్లా,కళ్యాణదుర్గంలో మంత్రి ఆర్భాటం కోసం పసిబిడ్డ ప్రాణాలు పోవడం తీవ్రంగా కలచివేసింది.ప్రభుత్వంలోని వ్యక్తుల సంబరాలకోసం ట్రాఫిక్ నిలిపివేసి పసిపాప చనిపోడానికి కారణం అయ్యారు.ప్రాణాపాయంలో ఉన్న చిన్నారి ఆసుపత్రికి వెళ్లడం కంటే మంత్రుల ర్యాలీలే ముఖ్యమని భావించడం దారుణం(1/2) pic.twitter.com/kns6aUqqvT
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) April 16, 2022
Naidu’s son and member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Nara Lokesh, shared the video of the distraught father carrying his deceased child in his arms as he called for the suspension of the policemen involved.
కళ్యాణదుర్గం నియోజకవర్గంలో మంత్రి ఉషశ్రీ చరణ్ పర్యటన కోసం పోలీసులు చేసిన ఓవర్ యాక్షన్ తో శెట్టూరు మండలం చెర్లోపల్లి గ్రామానికి చెందిన హరిజన గణేష్, ఈశ్వరమ్మ దంపతుల ఏడాది చిన్నారి బలైంది. ఇది ముమ్మాటికీ మంత్రి, పోలీసులు చేసిన హత్యే.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/7fLQvjI0Bn
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) April 15, 2022
“This is murder by the minister and police. Despite pleading that the sick child be taken to hospital, the police did not allow it. Action must be taken against those police whose actions lead to a child’s death,” said Nara Lokesh.
