Footage from a CCTV camera in the vicinity shows the boy, wearing a red T-shirt and brown trousers, hanging by the neck from the door of the bus, but no video is available of the minutes before that. (Special arrangement photo/ Image enhanced using AI)A seven-year-old schoolboy died after his neck was allegedly trapped in the front passenger door of a bus parked at a workshop in Vadodara on Thursday (August 20), police said.Footage from a CCTV camera in the vicinity shows the boy, wearing a red T-shirt and brown trousers, hanging by the neck from the door of the bus, but no video is available of the minutes before that, which may have shown how the boy reached that position.The Kapurai police in Vadodara city have registered a case and opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the child, a Class 2 student who has been identified as Divyesh Rathwa.The boy’s father, Rakesh Rathwa, told police that Divyesh had returned home from school around 12.30 pm, and then gone out again after telling the family that he was going to collect prasad.Some time after that, the family was informed by some people that the boy was at an automobile repair workshop on the Suryanagar-Tarsali bypass in Vadodara, and that “something” had happened to him.“When we reached the spot, we found him lying motionless near the bus. Someone had called an ambulance. He was declared dead in hospital,” Rathwa said.According to Rathwa, CCTV footage of the moments when the alleged incident took place was not available. “We want the police to conduct a thorough probe. I don’t know what happened but I want to know the truth,” he said.Story continues below this adPolice said it appeared that the incident had occurred after the luxury bus was parked at a workshop and the driver had got off and gone to have tea.“Preliminary information suggests that the child’s neck became trapped in the vehicle’s automatic door. We are investigating how he came near the bus, and the precise sequence of events leading to his death,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3, Abhishek Gupta said.It is not known how or why the child reached the workshop and what he was doing there. “Children from the vicinity often come to this spot to play,” Gupta said.Gupta said that forensic teams had been called in to collect evidence which would determine whether the automatic hydraulic door of the luxury bus, which had been closed, could be pushed open with pressure from a child.Story continues below this adThe alleged disappearance of around 15 minutes of the CCTV feed from the time of the incident is part of the investigation, the officer said. However, he said, preliminary information shows the area witnessed a brief “power cut” at the time.“Police are examining why approximately 15 minutes of footage from the relevant time is missing and whether it was deliberate or due to a technical issue like a power cut that seems to have occurred at the same time,” Gupta said.He added that “The CCTV footage available minutes before the incident shows that the driver had shut the automatic door before stepping out. The later footage shows some men who had arrived at the spot pushing the door to bring out the child. We will ascertain if a shut automatic door can be opened due to pressure.”In the two parts of the CCTV footage that is available now, the hydraulic door of the bus is first seen being closed by the driver seated inside. The second portion of the CCTV footage shows the boy’s body dangling from the door and a car stopping.Story continues below this adThe driver of the car is seen hurrying towards the bus, raising an alarm. More people gather, and they are seen trying to remove the boy from the door. They are seen pushing the door with force, and as the door opens slightly, the boy’s body is seen falling to the ground, motionless.The Rathwa family originally hails from Pavi Jetpur taluka of the tribal district of Chhota Udepur. The boy’s father works in a private biogas company in Vadodara.The body has been sent for a post mortem examination.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram