Just two days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India was open-defecation free. But in a chilling twist, an 18-month-old baby's death drew attention to the fact that we still have a long way to go.?
The 18-month-old was reportedly beaten to death during a fight that broke out between two families after a 7-year-old was caught urinating in the open in Sagar village, Madhya Pradesh, according to The Times Of India.
The incident happened after Umesh Singh's seven-year-old child urinated in the common pathway of the locality. One of Umesh¡¯s neighbours, Mohar Singh, objected to this and asked him to ensure that his son never defecates in the open again, something that enraged Umesh and his father Ram Singh, police said.?
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Ram and Umesh left the spot only to return later, armed with sticks. The dup started attacking Mohar. During the fight, Mohar¡¯s 18-month-old baby Bhagwan was allegedly hit on the head and died on the spot.?
After this, the villagers informed police and Ram and Umesh were arrested and booked for murder and causing grievous hurt, Sagar SP Amit Sanghi said. ¡°It¡¯s not a case of open defecation, as mentioned by a section of the media, but a dispute between two families,¡± the SP added.