Ashram inmate had collapsed in bathroom: Superintendent report to govt dept

A day after the DC ordered an inquiry into the mysterious death of a 15-year-old minor at Children Home of the Gandhi Vanita Ashram in Jalandhar, the ashram authorities, in their response to the Social Security Department, have sent details regarding the circumstances in which the girl died. The letter, however, does not mention the cause of the death of the girl. Enquiries from the police revealed that no FIR has been registered in the case as yet.

The Superintendent of the Children’s Home at Gandhi Vanita Ashram has written to the Director, Social Security and Women and Child Development, saying that the girl collapsed in a bathroom of the ashram and died. A letter to the Director was sent by the home Superintendent on November 22.

As per the letter, the girl had arrived at the Children’s Home only on November 19, and was found dead just two days later.

The girl had been sent to the ashram by the Child Welfare Committee, Ferozepur, on November 19.

The letter from the Superintendent, Children Home, to the Director Social Security, states, “The girl went to the bathroom on the night of November 21 and when she didn’t come out after a long time, the bathroom was checked by the house mother, where she found the girl lying collapsed.

The mother and fellow inmates of the shelter home picked her up and seated her on a chair. Police (security) person Reena was then called from the first floor of the home, after which the girl was taken to a nearby hospital. The girl was taken to the Civil Hospital by fellow inmates. During check-up at the hospital, the girl was declared dead.”

While SDM-II, Jalandhar, Shayari Malhotra was unavailable for comment, the police said the post-mortem report of the girl is yet to come.

SHO Jaswinder Singh of the police station number 2, Jalandhar, said, “Proceedings have been initiated under Section 174 (CrPC) in the case of the death of the ashram inmate on the night of November 21. The cause of the death of the girl is not yet known.”

The SHO added, the body was handed over to the family of the girl and her last rites had been conducted.