A seven-year-old boy from Delhi, who was suffering from blood cancer, lost his life after his parents and aunt dipped him in the Ganga river in Haridwar, hoping for a miraculous cure. The shocking incident, which took place on Monday afternoon, was captured on video and sparked outrage among the public and the authorities.
According to the police, the boy’s parents, Rajkumar and Shanti, had taken him to AIIMS-Delhi, where the doctors had told them that the cancer was in an advanced stage and there was no hope of survival. Despite the medical advice, the family decided to travel to Haridwar, believing that a holy dip in the Ganga would heal their son.
At Har-ki-Pauri, the boy’s aunt, Sudha, held him in her arms and repeatedly submerged him in the cold water for about 15 minutes, while his parents chanted mantras on the bank. The boy, who was identified as Ravi Saini, was seen screaming and struggling in the video, before he became silent and motionless.
Some bystanders, who witnessed the horrific scene, intervened and snatched the boy from his aunt. They tried to revive him, but he showed no signs of life. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The police detained the family and registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against them. SP (city) Swatantra Kumar said that the autopsy report revealed that the boy did not die of drowning, but of hypothermia and cardiac arrest. He also said that the police are investigating whether the boy was already dead before being dipped in the river, or if he died due to the cold and the trauma.
The incident has raised questions about the prevalence of superstition and blind faith among some sections of the society, especially in matters of health and disease. Many experts and activists have called for more awareness and education to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.