Bhatkal: Following the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy who fell into an open well behind a medical shop near Noor Mosque on Wednesday evening, the boy’s relatives gathered at the site on Thursday morning and staged a protest. The protesters accused the school teachers of negligence, alleging that their carelessness led to the boy’s untimely demise.

The relatives refused to take the boy’s body for the final rites, demanding that the responsible teachers be brought to the spot and assurances of justice be provided.

Upon receiving information, Bhatkal Circle Police Inspector Gopi Krishna, Tehsildar Nagesh Shetty, and other officials arrived at the scene to pacify the protesters. Despite their efforts, the relatives persisted with their protest. Eventually, the authorities succeeded in moving the protesters to the government hospital compound, where the protest continued. The protesters demanded the immediate suspension of the concerned teachers.

Later, the relatives visited the Kittur Rani Chennamma Residential School, where other students were accommodated. In the presence of Tehsildar and DYSP Mahesh, the protesters obtained information about the incident from the students.

Finally, the protesters ended their demonstration after filing a complaint at the Bhatkal police station. At around 8:30 PM, they took the boy’s body and departed for their village. 

Anger over open well negligence: Local residents expressed their outrage over the open well, demanding that a case be filed against the landowner for negligence. They criticized the lack of safety measures around the well, which is located adjacent to the National Highway, stating that the accident could have been prevented if proper fencing had been installed. The residents pointed out that the open well is difficult to spot during the day and nearly impossible to see at night.

DC’s appeal to seal open wells: Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Priya addressed the issue in Karwar, emphasizing the importance of securing open wells and borewells on government land. She noted that the well where the boy fell is located on private property. The DC appealed to private landowners, especially those near highways, to ensure such wells are properly fenced to prevent future accidents.