MCD Suspends Junior Engineer After 15-Year-Old Boy Falls Into Open Drain in Jasola

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday suspended a junior engineer for dereliction of duty following the death of a 15-year-old boy who fell into an open drain in the Jasola area on Saturday.

According to an official office order issued by the civic body, the suspended official has been identified as Anuj Kumar, Junior Engineer (M)-IV. The suspension has taken effect immediately as disciplinary proceedings against him are being contemplated by the authorities.

The MCD order further specified that Kumar will receive a subsistence allowance in accordance with service rules during the period of suspension. The official has also been directed not to leave his station without prior permission from the competent authority.

The incident occurred on Saturday morning when the 15-year-old victim, identified as Mithun, was chasing a kite and fell into the uncovered drain. Despite extensive efforts by emergency teams, the boy's body had not been recovered.

Emergency response teams were dispatched after authorities received an alert about the mishap around 11:50 am on Saturday. Two fire tenders were rushed to the location to initiate rescue measures.

A multi-agency search operation was subsequently launched to locate the missing teenager. The operation has involved personnel from the east Delhi district administration, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and a specialized boat club team.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta intervened in the matter, instructing the Chief Secretary to furnish details regarding the open drain within an hour and demanding immediate suspension of the official found responsible for the negligence.