Four-and-half yr girl falls into septic tank near school, dies

A four-and-half year-old girl died after falling into an open septic tank near the premises of a private school in northwest Delhi's Swaroop Nagar area, police said today.
The incident took place yesterday at around 2 PM at a vacant plot situated between Sant Sujan Singh International School and the Sardar Colony Gurudwara when Nandini was returning from her school, they said.
"Nandini was returning with her mother and her siblings when she started running and accidentally fell into the septic tank," said DCP (Northwest) Milind Mahadeo Dumbere.
"Nandini's mother, who was accompanied by her two other children, jumped after her daughter but could not save her. Nandini was taken out by the locals after her mother raised alarm and rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead," he added.

The deceased's father Ranjeet, an auto driver, alleged the tank was being used by the school for discharge of sewage.
A case under sections 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 A(causing death due to negligence)has been registered at Swaroop Nagar police station and the police is trying to ascertain the ownership of the land where the tank is situated.

Meanwhile, the authorities at Sant Sujan Singh International School claimed the land was not under their ownership.
"The incident did not take place in the school premises and the agricultural land in which the septic tank is located does not belong to our school," said Vice Principal of Sant Sujan Singh International School Mandira Yadav.

Locals protested outside the school's gate in the afternoon alleging that Nandini was killed because of the school's negligence.