Starvation Deaths: Second Autopsy Says Children's 'Stomachs Were Empty'

The police have formed teams to trace the father of the three minor girls who died on Tuesday allegedly due to starvation in east Delhi's crowded Mandawali area, even as a second autopsy concluded their "stomachs were empty" and "no trace of fat" was found in their bodies.

The Centre also ordered an inquiry into the deaths of the three sisters, including a toddler, while Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the deaths were due to "poverty and illness" and was the "biggest failure of the system".

The incident triggered a political slugfest, within and outside Parliament, with the BJP and the Congress putting the blame on the AAP government for such a "shocking" case in the national capital having a per capita income of Rs 3.29 lakh i.E. Three times the national average, and the Arvind Kejriwal's party countering the charges asking leaders to refrain from politicising it.

The political leaders from across the parties made a beeline in the area with several of them giving cash to the mother, who appeared distraught and unwell. The father has not returned home since he left on July 24, when the mother had taken the three girls, aged two, four and eight, to a hospital.

Sisodia also asked the Directorate of Integrated Child Development Services to submit details of the officials responsible for keeping records of the people living in the area, and fix accountability.

The National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the Delhi government and the WCD Ministry over the deaths asking them to send reports within four weeks. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) also sought a report from the police and the district administration.

Terming the deaths as "unfortunate", human right activists raised the issue of lack of food and social security for the poor and marginalised, saying the government should stop being in denial of existence of poverty in the country.

The BJP leaders attacked the AAP government, claiming there was a "ration scam" in Delhi, resulting in subsidised grains not reaching the needy.

The girls were taken to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital by their mother and a family friend where they were declared brought dead. Initial postmortem had suggested the deaths were due to starvation.

Doctors today said the autopsy showed that their "stomachs were empty" as if they had not eaten for over a week. "The postmortem was conducted on Tuesday evening itself, and it was over by 6:30 pm.

"On Wednesday, they wanted a review, so chemical toxicology was also suggested. And, therefore, a medical board was set up and a second autopsy was conducted at the GTB Hospital," Medical Superintendent of LBS Hospital Dr Amita Saxena said.

Asked what the postmortem found, she said, "There were no injury marks. It looked like a typical case of malnutrition, with dishevelled, monkey-like faces and no trace of fat in the bodies. The stomach, bladder and rectum were found empty."

Saxena said the experts did not suspect any foul play, as there was "no food in the stomach. It was as if they had not eaten anything for 8-9 days".

"We wanted a second opinion and be doubly sure, so a second autopsy was done at the GTB Hospital," she said.

Meanwhile a senior police official said they have formed various teams to trace the father of the three girls. The girls' father, a casual labourer, had left on the morning of July 24 for finding work and has not returned.

Police are on the lookout for him and he will be questioned in connection with the matter, he said.

Sisodia said the deaths were due to "poverty and illness" and was the "biggest failure of the system". Sisodia said he has asked the Directorate of Integrated Child Development Services to submit details of the officials responsible for keeping records of the people living in the area, and fix accountability.

The deputy chief minister visited the SDM office in the east Delhi and met the girls' mother, whose mental condition is not good. "I want to say that be it due to starvation, poverty or illness, it is the biggest failure of our system," Sisodia told reporters here.

He directed the planning department of the Delhi government to conduct a complete census of children in the national capital. Criticising the ICDS, which comes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Sisodia said that ICDS was formed to help children reeling under hunger and starvation.

In Delhi, too, there are anganwadi and ICDS officers, and "our system has failed somewhere. I have directed the Directorate of ICDS to submit his report till evening about the officials responsible for keeping records of the people living in the area and fix accountability.

"If the family's details were in the record, what were the officials concerned doing?... I have sought a report from the ICDS," he said.

The ICDS refused to comment on the matter.

The deputy chief minister said it's a very "shocking incident" and the magisterial inquiry will bring the facts to the fore. He said the Delhi government has decided to provide Rs 25,000 to the family.

The NHRC, meanwhile, has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports on the matter and issued notices to the Delhi Chief Secretary and Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, seeking reports in four weeks.

Both the authorities have also been asked to submit a status report on the Antodhya Anna Yojana -- a central government-sponsored scheme to provide highly subsidised food to the poorest families, the NHRC said.

PTI