4 Children Burnt Alive While Playing Near Haystack In Jharkhand's Chaibasa, Police Begin Probe

In Jharkhand, four children died in a haystack fire. The children were playing near the haystack when the fire broke out.

Four children were burnt to death in a fire that broke out in a haystack near their house in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district on Monday, police said.  

The tragic incident occurred around 11 am in Gitilipi village, under the Jagannathpur police station limits in Chaibasa. According to Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar, the children were playing near the haystack when the fire broke out. "The exact cause of the fire is being ascertained," he told news agency PTI.  

A police team has been dispatched to the site to conduct a detailed investigation. The charred bodies of the children have been recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.

"The police are fully sensitive towards the incident. Further information will be provided once the post-mortem report is available," SP Shekhar said.  

The incident has left the village in mourning, with the bereaved families inconsolable. Authorities are continuing their probe to determine the cause of the fire.

6-Month-Old Baby Hung Upside Down Over Fire in Madhya Pradesh, Left With Serious Eye Injury

In a separate incident, a six-month-old baby sustained severe eye injuries after an occultist’s 'exorcism' ritual in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, where he was hung upside down over a fire. Police are now on the lookout for the self-proclaimed tantrik behind the act.  

According to officials, the ritual inflicted significant damage to the infant’s eyes, and doctors are uncertain whether his eyesight can be restored, PTI reported. The incident took place on 13 March in the Kolaras police station area when the baby’s parents took him to tantrik Raghuveer Dhakad for treatment, believing he was experiencing discomfort.  

The occultist allegedly convinced the parents that their child was haunted by shadows and proceeded with the ritual. As part of the 'exorcism', the baby was suspended upside down over a fire while his helpless parents watched, believing it would cure him.  

The matter came to light when the distressed parents took their son to Shivpuri District Hospital for treatment. Superintendent of Police Aman Singh Rathod confirmed that the infant is undergoing treatment at the hospital.  

A complaint was lodged by village Kotwar Janved Parihar, following which a case was registered against Dhakad. However, the accused has not yet been arrested, and investigations are ongoing, police said.  

Shivpuri District Hospital’s ophthalmologist, Dr Girish Chaturvedi, stated that the child's eyes were severely damaged, and he has been admitted to the ICU. "We will know only after 72 hours whether his eyesight can be restored. His eyes are seriously injured," Dr Chaturvedi said.