Policemen on duty for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's July 3 visit to Kanpur were unaware of the death of a two-year-old boy for want of urgent treatment, as alleged by his parents, Uttar Pradesh Additional Director-General (Law and Order) Brij Lal said on Friday. No request was made to the police that the boy be allowed to be taken to hospital, he told journalists here.
According to reports, Aman of Shyam Nagar fell from the roof of his house, but his parents, Usha Sharma and Tahaddud Hussain Khan, were prevented by the police from taking him to hospital on account of strict security for the Prime Minister's visit. Mr. Khan said they wanted to take the boy to Regency Hospital at Sarvodaya Nagar, but the police denied them access.
Usha Sharma, an employee of the Ordnance Equipment Factory, has written to United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, asking her to ensure that such an incident does not occur, and seeking a Rs. 10-lakh compensation.
But Mr. Lal said no request was made to the police to relax the security for taking the child to hospital. He said he had contacted the DIG and the SSP of Kanpur and was satisfied with their version.
As for Mr. Khan's charge that nobody was allowed to cross the barricade, Mr. Lal said there was no restriction on traffic on four routes, which pass through Govindnagar and Fazalganj. These routes could have been taken for taking the boy to Regency Hospital.
