Child killed after being taken to an occultist, arrested in UP Upset family demanded action against the quack

Abhishek Awasthi.

Bulandshahr: In Western Uttar Pradesh, a one-year-old infant died after being taken to an occultist, who smashed his teeth and hurled him to the ground while attempting to treat him, according to his relatives. Anuj, the youngster, was taken to the quack on Thursday night in Dhakar village, Bulandshahr district, after being unwell, according to his uncle Saurabh. The spiritual healer, who the authorities identified as a local tantrik, threw him to the ground and smashed several of his teeth. When the family realised the boy was unconscious, they took him to a private hospital late at night for treatment. The physicians there declared him dead. Upset family members carried the body to the police station and asked that the quack be prosecuted. Tantrik has been detained, and the child’s body has been submitted for an autopsy, according to police, who also stated that their investigation is ongoing. The incident came just days after a three-month-old child died in Madhya Pradesh after being jabbed 51 times on the stomach with a hot iron rod as part of “therapy” by a quack.

The toddler, who was having trouble breathing, had pneumonia. Despite advances in rural healthcare, a physician scarcity forces many communities to rely on faith healers and quacks for treatment. According to the Indian Medical Association, there are around 10 lakh quacks practising allopathic medicine in the nation. According to experts, the lack of strict criminal consequences allows such unlicensed practitioners, many of whom labour out of run-down clinics in rural regions, to prosper.