A seven-year-old boy, who was suffering from blood cancer, was forced to take a dip in the Ganga for about five minutes by his aunt, resulting in his death on Wednesday. The family hoped that taking a dip in the Ganga would bring about a miracle and cure the boy, identified as Ravi. The incident occurred at the Har-Ki-Pauri ghat in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
Devotees who had gathered at the ghat tried to stop the woman after the child started wailing and was visibly suffocating due to the repeated dips. However, she paid no heed and continued with the ritual even as his parents chanted mantras.
The boy then suddenly stopped showing any sign of life. Some people waded in and brought the child out, but by then he had died.
SHO of the Har-ki-Pairi police station Bhavna Kainthola said Ravi's parents and aunt have been taken into custody for interrogation. The family was from Delhi.
News agency PTI quoted the SHO as saying: "Ravi died of drowning... An inquiry into the case has been launched."
According to TV9 Bharatvarsh, Ravi was undergoing treatment at a hospital but his parents were worried. Ravi's parents were advised by a tantrik to perform the ritual. SP Swatantra Kumar was quoted as saying: "Some tantrik had told these people to bathe the child in the Ganga in Haridwar to cure him of blood cancer. Under the influence of Baba, these people reached Har-Ki-Paudi and started bathing the child." A video of the incident is now being widely shared.
(With inputs from PTI.)