NEW DELHI: The magisterial probe into the death of the three children in a JJ colony in east Delhi ’s Mandawali earlier this week has raised suspicions that they might have been poisoned.

The father of the children, all unwell and aged below 10 years, had given them a medicine with hot water last Monday (July 23) before leaving the house, a probe conducted by an SDM has revealed. He is untraceable. The kids died after being hospitalised in an impoverished state the next day. Police suspect Mangal, the father, avoided visiting the hospital where his wife was also admitted fearing he would be quizzed by cops. SDM Arun Gupta has asked cops to start a fresh probe into the incident that was thought of as a case of starvation deaths.

The cops have been asked to hunt down Mangal, a rickshaw-puller who was an alcoholic and out of job after his rickshaw was recently stolen. The SDM’s report, however, makes it clear, that the children did not have the adequate nutrition despite getting some food items regularly.

Gupta says that during the enquiry under 174 CrPC, it was found that all the children had fallen ill on Monday due to some infection in their stomach, but they were not given ORS that was prescribed. That night, Mangal gave them the medicine with hot water and left the house without informing his wife or friends.

Mangal’s eldest daughter Mansi had gone to the school on Monday, but refused to have her midday meal as she was not feeling well. The probe found Rs 1,805 was deposited in Mansi’s account opened at the Corporation Bank.

Based on the SDM’s report, the area district magistrate has asked the police to look for Mangal. “The DCP (east) may be directed to conduct proper deeper investigations,” said the order.

The cops have been asked to collect the reports on the viscera and PM report from the GTB hospital that mentioned that the children had died due to starvation. Cops would also convince their mother, Beena, to depose before the investigators once she is counselled and treated by the doctors at the IBHAS.

It was also found that an anganwadi centre was being run about 100 metre away from the colony where the children used to stay, but they had visited the centre for food.

The anganwadi centre would feed 50 children from the area. It is surprising that the family also did not have an anganwadi card.



In Video: Starvation deaths: Rickshaw puller’s three children die in east Delhi