Bengaluru: Vikram Kumar (6) had gone to Lalbagh with his three cousins and aunt. Around 3 p.m., he stood beside an assembled sculpture, comprising a large polished granite placed on top of a four-feet-tall pillar, in the Bonsai Garden. But as he leaned on the pillar, the granite fell on him.
As six-year-old Vikram lay bleeding, other visitors and passers-by chose to take pictures on their mobile phones rather than rush the child to a hospital, his family alleged on Monday. Relatives said they were deeply saddened by the ‘inhumanity’.
“It was only three children and my daughter with Vikram. They could do little but scream as the stone was heavy. Other visitors were taking photos and videos. They did not help to lift the stone,” alleged Gauri, Vikram’s grandmother.
No park official or security personnel was present at Bonsai Garden at that time.
However, M.R. Chandrashekar, Deputy Director, Lalbagh, said that staff responded immediately by summoning an ambulance and the child, who was gasping for life, was shifted to the hospital on a two-wheeler.
Doctors, however, could not save him.
‘Energetic’ and ‘enthusiastic’
Vikram’s six-year-old cousin Rakshith, described as his inseparable best friend, was clearly in shock. “My brother is in the hospital. He is not well,” is all he could say.
Prasad, a family friend, said Vikram was ‘energetic’ and ‘enthusiastic’. “He was good at studies and he loved to talk to everyone. He was keen on dancing and would participate in all school programmes,” he said while consoling the family at the mortuary in KIMS Hospital.
Family donates eyes
Despite the shock of the untimely death of their only child, the parents told the hospital to harvest his organs for donation.
“We thought it will be a suitable tribute if Vikram could help someone even in his death,” said Velu Kumar, the boy’s uncle. Though the family consented to donation of all organs, KIMS doctors could only arrange a corneal transplant.
"Other organs cannot be retrieved as four hours had passed since his death. The cornea will be donated to the eye bank at KIMS hospital,” said an official.
‘Officials should be held accountable’
Vikram’s death has once again turned the focus on Lalbagh after the death of a seven-year-old girl, who was attacked by a swarm of bees, in August 2015.
While many of the hives were removed in the aftermath of the incident, there was much more to be done to make Lalbagh safer for the thousands of daily visitors, particularly children.
“It is complete neglect by park authorities. In the past three months, the park has had three directors. There is no accountability,” said M.R. Doreswamy, vice-president of the advisory committee overseeing works and maintenance of Lalbagh. The committee has not met in the past six months.
“With no steady park director or action from the Horticulture Department, upkeep has suffered. The number of security personnel, who should have been monitoring children, has reduced. During our walks, we hardly encounter two or three security personnel. How can three persons monitor visitors in such a large park?”
Moreover, officials should have taken more care while installing delicate sculptures, since a large number of the visitors are children. “The death was due to negligence and officials should be held responsible,” said Mr. Doreswamy.
‘Warned not to touch’
Officials claimed that the family had been warned not to touch the sculpture and keep a safe distance from the same. “It was an ornamental bird bath. Our security guards were less than 100 feet away. We believe that the child attempted to climb the structure, which caused it to collapse,” said M.R. Chandrashekar, Deputy Director, Lalbagh. “The whole incident happened in a matter of seconds.”
