A 12-year-old inmate of a children’s home, Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Royapuram, died due to an alleged ant sting at Government Stanley Hospital late on Sunday night.
His family members who are pavement dwellers are crying foul over the incident. However, the post-mortem report indicated a medical condition consistent with insect bites.
The victim, M. Sudhakar, who lived with his parents Manikandan and Amulu, both rag pickers, and two siblings on the Thiru-Vi-Ka Road in Royapettah was sent to the Anbu Illam in 2014 along with his brother Sundar (11) thanks to the initiative of a child rights activist.
“I saw him last on New Year’s Day. Then I saw him in the hospital bed in Stanley in a critical condition on Sunday after Don Bosco staff informed me that Sudhakar was hospitalised following an ant bite,” Amulu told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Sudhakar was an avid singer and had talent for assembling electronic items.
“Initially, we couldn’t even get a police case registered and now we have strong suspicion about the boy’s death but we have no one to raise a voice for us,” said Mary, Amulu’s elder sister.
Royapuram police said the incident took place at the Don Bosco Anbu Illam on Cemetery Road, on Sunday morning when the boy was drying himself after a shower.
