BHOPAL: A second incident of infant death owing to blind faith in curing pneumonia is reported from Madhya Pradesh. In just a matter of days, two newborns inflicted with pneumonia have died after a horrifying ritual in which a heated rod is used.
Two died in Shahdol in just five days, said police on Sunday filing a case against a quack 42 years old Ramwatia who is accused of the first death, a baby of two and a half months old to whom he signed the rod 50 times on the abdomen. No one has been named in the FIR lodged in the second death.
In the second case, a three-month-old passed away after being signed for 24 times. The baby died on Saturday, said police officials adding that her body will be exhumed after taking permission from divisional magistrate today and send for autopsy. The baby underwent the bizarre ritual on Jan 21 after she had respiratory problems. Seeing no respite in her health, the parents of the chid then admitted her to govt medical hospital on Feb 1 and then shifted to a private hospital as her condition deteriorated where she finally passed away.
Both cases are filed under IPC sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) and section 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act 1954.