Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Friday said the state government had written to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, demanding an inquiry into the death of Nida Fathima, the 10-year-old girl from Kerala who died at a Nagpur hospital on Thursday.
Nida, hailing from Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district, was part of the Kerala contingent that went to Nagpur to take part in the National Cycle Polo Championship, which began on Thursday. “We have requested the Maharashtra government to probe the allegation that the girl did not receive adequate medical attention and promised all co-operation from the Kerala government,” Sivankutty said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Friday admitted a contempt of court petition in connection with Nida’s death. The court directed the secretaries of the Cycle Polo Federation of India and Cycle Polo Association of Kerala to appear in person on January 12.
The bench of Justice V G Arun acted upon the contempt of court petition moved by Kerala Cycle Polo Association. The petitioner told the court that its team, including Nida Fathima, was permitted by the HC, in an order on December 15, to participate in the national championship at Nagpur, but the players were not provided food or lodging by the Cycle Polo Federation of India. As a result, they had to be accommodated in a local dormitory and Nida got afflicted with food poisoning and died on Thursday morning, the petitioner association said in its contempt plea filed through advocate Santhan V Nair.
Kerala Cycle Polo Association secretary Riyas, who is in Nagpur, told The Indian Express that Nida’s post-mortem was conducted at the Nagpur Medical College on Thursday and her body was set to be taken to Kerala on a flight departing from Nagpur at 10 pm. “There will be a layover in Bengaluru and it will reach the Kochi airport by 9 am on Friday. From there, it will be taken to the girl’s house at Ambalappuzha,” he added.
Two groups of players went to Nagpur to represent Kerala in the national championship by rival associations. One was sent by Kerala Cycle Polo Association, which claims the Kerala High Court had permitted its teams to participate in the national championship representing the state. The other contingent was sent by the Cycle Polo Association of Kerala, affiliated to the Cycle Polo Federation of India, the national body for the sport.
Nida, a student of SDV Government Upper Primary School at Neerkunnam near Ambalappuzha, was part of the sub-junior girls’ team sent by Kerala Cycle Polo Association.
The 29-member contingent, comprising 24 players, coaches and officials, had reached Nagpur on Tuesday evening, said Riyas. “The national federation refused to provide us accommodation or food, saying we were not from the affiliated state association. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh provided us with accommodation space and we had to eat food from outside,” he said.
“Nida vomited around 2.45 am on Thursday and that was the first sign of discomfort she showed. She got better after that but when she vomited again in the morning, we decided to take her to the hospital and took her to Shrikrishna Hospital, which was around 200m away from the place we were staying at,” Riyas said.
According to Riyas, Nida walked to the hospital without any difficulty and doctors said she was vomiting because of food poisoning. “They gave her an injection around 8 am but immediately after that, she started complaining of pain in her hand and vomited once more before collapsing. She was admitted to the intensive care unit but they could not save her. The hospital officially said the death happened at 10.20 am and shifted her body to Nagpur Medical College,” he said.
Nida’s father, Shihabuddin, a driver, came to know about the death of his daughter at the Kochi airport while he was on his way to Nagpur after being informed that she was admitted to a hospital. Two Kerala Sports Council representatives also reached Nagpur.
The Dhantoli police in Nagpur registered an accidental death report in the matter and recorded the statements of all people concerned. The police said the girl had not been passing motions for the last two days and on Thursday, she fell ill and was taken to a private hospital. The doctors gave her an injection but after that she collapsed and was declared dead, the police said.
Inspector Prabhavati Ekurke said the girl’s father, in his statement, claimed there was negligence from the hospital. The matter has been referred to the Indian Medical Association, which will ascertain the veracity of the allegation, Ekurke said.
The other contingent from Kerala, sent by the rival faction, Cycle Polo Association of Kerala, was given accommodation and other facilities by the national federation. Curiously, their teams are also playing matches at the championship.
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