A heartbreaking video of a 13-year-old girl from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, begging her father to pay for her cancer treatment, has gone viral on social media, just days after she passed away.
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Sai Sri, who died of bone marrow cancer on Sunday May 14, requested her father Shiva Kumar 3 days before her death to help her financially, through a video, which was recorded on a mobile phone by her mother Suma Sri.
"Please save me, daddy. Doctors say I won't survive for long if I don't get treatment. You say you don't have money, but we have a house here. Please sell it and pay for my treatment. Please do something and save me," begged Sai in between sobs.
"I want to go to school like all other children and play with my friends. If I get treatment on time, I can go to school again. I feel pain in my limbs. There is no money with mummy. If you think that she will take your money, then you take me to the hospital, and get me treated," pleaded the girl.
Despite sending the video to the girl's father, Shiva Kumar did not reply to the video. Following her death, the Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in Andhra Pradesh took up her case.
The SHRC on Monday ordered the city Commissioner of Police to submit a detailed report on the incident. According to Achyuta Rao from the Balala Hakkula Sangham, the NGO which moved the SHRC, Girl's father Shivakumar is a known rowdy and is a close aide of local TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao.
Three sides, three stories
"When the mother tried to sell house which was under Sai Sri's name to meet medical expenses, Shiva Kumar and the MLA stopped her," said Rao.
Meanwhile, the DCP of Vijaywada, Palaraju has said that the deceased Sai Sri's mother has been getting threatening calls asking her to vacate the house. She has filed a complaint.
But this is not the first time that the teen's father used his power to keep the mother-daughter under control. Suma Sri has also said that when she tried to sell the house, which was under Sai Sri's name to meet medical expenses, her husband Shiva Kumar stopped her, with the help of TDP MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao.
Initially, when the child was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors said that her bone marrow transplant would cost Rs. 30 lakh. Though Shiva Kumar brought the girl to Bangalore, he did not take care of her.
The Quint quoted the mother who had split with Shiva Kumar when Sai Sri was a child as saying, "She called me and cried. When I asked her what happened, she said that her father was manhandling her and misbehaved with her. I immediately brought her back and went to the police station. When I went to the police station, Bonda Uma used his influence and they didn't accept my case."
Meanwhile, the Vijaywada police have registered a case against Kumar and his friends on the charges of intimidating Suma. Though no arrests have been made so far, Bonda Uma has claimed that the opposition is politicising the death of a young girl. "I condemn this strongly. There is no connection to me in this case," said Uma.
"Even when a child with cancer has died, the opposition is distorting the facts and throwing mud on TDP leaders and blaming an MLA," he added.
However, the mother has denied Uma's allegations. "When a 13-year-old is suffering from cancer, being an MLA, you didn't offer any help. Why didn't you come forward before? When people were in my house, saying your name, why didn't you speak up?" she asked.
Watch the video here:
