Mysuru: A one-and-a-half-year-old girl child was killed after being run over by a school bus at Nanjapura in Hunsur taluk yesterday afternoon.

The victim, Lathiksha, was the daughter of Basavaraju and Kanchana, residents of the village. The bus (KA-45-A-2509) belonged to Shastri Vidya Samsthe, Hunsur. Residents and passers-by caught the driver, Siddaraju, 42 and handed him over to the Police.

Basavaraju and Kanchana’s elder son, four-year-old Tilak, is a Pre-KG student at Shastri School. At around 2.15 pm yesterday, Tilak returned home in the school vehicle. His mother Kanchana went to the vehicle to take him home.

According to residents and eyewitnesses, toddler followed her from the house without her knowledge and remained near the rear of the vehicle while her mother took Tilak inside.

As the vehicle was being reversed, the driver, reportedly unaware of child’s presence in the blind spot, ran over her. She sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot. The incident came to light shortly afterwards, following which the child was rushed for medical attention but was declared dead.

The Bilikere Police have registered a case and arrested the driver. During preliminary questioning, Siddaraju reportedly told the Police that he was unaware of the toddler standing behind the vehicle.

Following the post-mortem examination, the child’s body was handed over to the family for the final rites.