Pushed into sump for second time, kid, 3, dies of injuries

Hyderabad: A harsh push by an angry mother resulted a three-year-old child falling to her death in an underground sump. The police on Saturday arrested Jayamma and the girl’s stepfather T. Basavaraju for the death of Lakshmi.

Police said Lakshmi had defecated while the family was having dinner on Friday at their home in Mailardevpally. Basavaraju allegedly kicked Lakshmi. Jayamma took the child outside to wash her, and pushed the child in a fit of anger. The child fell in an underground sump and suffered severe head injuries, resulting in her death.

Police said Jayamma, 28, a sanitation worker, lost her husband a year ago to cancer; Lakshmi was her daughter from the first marriage. She married co-worker Basavaraju, 32, three months ago at a nearby temple in Mailardevpally.

Police said Lakshmi appeared to unable to communicate when she had to ease herself. About a fortnight ago, Lakshmi had fractured her leg while playing in the verandah but the parents reportedly did not provide her medical care. At about 8.30 pm on Friday, the couple was having food when Lakshmi woke up, came to the place and defecated.

“Basavaraju got angry and kicked Lakshmi. Jayamma took her out to wash, when she also beat her and pushed her. As a result, Lakshmi fell into the sump,” said Mailardevpally inspector S. Venkat Reddy.

They took her out from the sump and rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. Lakshmi suffered injuries on the head, nose and jaws.