5-year-old guards dead father, unconscious mother in forest all night, seeks help in morning
Boy spends freezing night alone in Deogarh after his parents allegedly consume pesticide; both parents die while the boy survives the ordeal
A five-year-old boy spent the entire night alone in a forested area in bone-chilling cold, guarding his dead father and unconscious mother before seeking help from others.
The incident took place in Odisha’s Deogarh district and came to the fore when the little boy was found on the road near the forest seeking help from passers-by on Sunday (December 29) morning.
Suspected suicide after domestic dispute
According to police, the boy’s parents, Dushmant Majhi and Rinki Majhi, residents of Jianantapali village under the Kundheigola police station, consumed pesticide over a domestic dispute while returning home on a motorcycle.
They parked the motorcycle by the roadside and walked about a kilometre into the forest, where both are suspected to have consumed a poisonous substance. They allegedly gave the poison to the boy too but somehow it did not affect him.
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“While Dushmant died within an hour, Rinki fell unconscious. The little boy watched them lying on the ground and guarded his parents all night. After sunrise, he walked up to the road and sought help from people,” Deogarh Additional Superintendent of Police Dhiraj Chopdar told news agency PTI over the phone.
Child survives
The ASP said the woman also died later during treatment at Chhendipada hospital in neighbouring Angul district, but the child survived, though he was also given the pesticide by his parents.
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“The child was in good health and handed over to his grandparents after preliminary treatment,” he said.
The ASP said further investigation was underway.
(With agency inputs)
(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)