By Leslie Rajan 
In a heartbreaking incident that shook Mumbai, two children, aged seven and five, tragically lost their lives inside an abandoned Mercedes car in the Antop Hill area. The incident, which occurred on April 24, has led to the Mumbai police booking the dealer responsible for the vehicle for negligence, more than two months after the tragic event.
Initially considered accidental, the deaths of siblings Sajid Sheikh and Muskan came under scrutiny after detailed postmortem and forensic examinations revealed the cause of death as suffocation due to inhaling carbon monoxide inside the locked car.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Kadam, “We have registered a case against Rajkumar Pandey for negligence, but he has not been arrested yet. Our investigation is ongoing.”
The children had reportedly gone missing around 1:30 pm on April 24 while playing near their home. Their mother, Syra, began searching for them immediately, but it wasn’t until 6 pm that their father, a laborer, woke up and joined the search. The police were informed, and the tragic discovery was made around 10 pm the same day when officers found the children’s bodies inside the locked car.
Local residents had reportedly been urging Pandey for some time to remove the abandoned car, which had been causing concern due to its dangerous condition. “If only Pandey had acted promptly and removed the car, my children would have been alive today,” Syra lamented.
In response, Pandey expressed surprise that the children had managed to open the car doors, claiming they had been jammed for months and even a mechanic couldn’t open them.
As the investigation continues, this incident serves as a tragic reminder of the consequences of negligence and the importance of promptly addressing safety concerns in public spaces.