Kochi : The state commission for protection of child rights inspected the swimming pool at Kent Hail Garden apartment near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor, where a six-year-old boy drowned on Aug 17.
It said safety lapses in residential apartments across the state should be examined. A team led by panel member K K Shaju assessed the progress of the probe. The commission prima facie found serious lapses and negligence on the part of the apartment owners’ association in maintaining the pool without adequate safety measures, particularly given its proximity to an area where children play. The panel directed the police to conduct a detailed and effective investigation into the circumstances leading to the child’s death. The commission observed that treating the incident merely as an accidental death could send a wrong message to society. The panel has also initiated steps to conduct an official hearing involving the complainants, police officers and representatives of the apartment owners’ association as part of further proceedings.
The team also visited the deceased child’s family, offered support, and sought details of their complaint. It directed that psycho-social intervention be provided to the family members and children.