A five-year-old boy on his way to Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand with his family died after falling into a deep gorge from Pithu, police said. Pithu refers to the person who carries a pilgrim on his back during the trek.
One FIR A case has been registered against an unidentified laborer from Nepal for the boy’s death due to negligence, officials said, adding that the man is absconding. The accident happened near Lincholi, about 11 km from Gaurikund. Later, the boy’s body was recovered from a 200-metre deep ditch, he said.
According to the police, a couple from Agra had come with their two children on June 30 and started their journey to the temple the next day. After reaching Bhimbali from Gaurikund on mules, the couple rented a pithu for their younger son Shivaay Gupta as he was feeling tired. Officials said that Pithu moved ahead as the rest of the family continued their journey on foot.
“Soon the boy fell into a deep gorge from Pithu. It is being told that the laborer panicked and fled. The boy could not survive the fall,” said a police officer, adding that they are yet to identify the laborer and are relying on the details provided.
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As soon as the information was received, the State Disaster Response Team reached the spot and recovered the body with the help of police and local people. Based on a written complaint lodged by the boy’s family, an FIR has been registered against the laborer under section 304A (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police teams have also been deployed to trace and arrest the accused. Meanwhile, police have appealed to all the pilgrims to ensure that they are properly identified before hiring mule operators or piths.