Tearful adieu to borewell victim Kaveri

Hundreds of people bid tearful adieu to young Kaveri on Tuesday when her body was laid to rest near the borewell in Karnataka's Belagavi district in which she fell and died after hectic efforts to rescue her failed.

"The body of Kaveri was buried hours after it was retrieved from the borewell at Jhunjarwadi village in Athani taluka," Belagavi Superintendent of Police B.R. Ravikanth Gowda told reporters on Tuesday.

The tragic incident occurred when 6-year-old Kaveri accidentally slipped and fell into the deep borewell while playing with friends in the farm on Saturday evening.

Though oxygen was supplied through a pipe soon after police learnt about her fall and a National Disaster Response Force team dug a tunnel after drilling the rocky terrain to rescue her, Kaveri was found buried in mud at a depth of 30 feet.

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at Kaveri's funeral, as her parents and relatives were inconsolable.

Police had tough time in controlling the crowds at the last rites.

Farmland owner Shankar Hipparagi, who got the borewell dug but failed to cover it, is reportedly absconding.

"We have registered a case against the landowner under sections of the Indian Penal Code," said Gowda.

Meanwhile, Belagavi Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram ordered closure of all open borewells in the district, which are not in use or dried up due to drought and scorching summer.

As the state government is yet to announce compensation to Kaveri's parents, Jayaram said he would write to the government to sanction the relief amount.

--IANS

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