Tragic Turn! 7-Year-Old Succumbs To Ganga Dip Ritual In Family's Attempt To 'Cure' Blood Cancer

A seven-year-old boy, who had been diagnosed with blood cancer, was allegedly submerged in the Ganga river for approximately 15 minutes in Haridwar until he passed away, according to police reports on Wednesday.

Representational Image| TIL

The unusual incident was allegedly orchestrated by the boy's parents and aunt, who believed that a "miracle" could cure him of his incurable disease.

Aunt dipped boy into Ganga in front of parents

The child's parents had taken him to the Har-Ki-Pauri banks, seeking a "miracle cure" for his blood cancer, as it was deemed incurable, as reported by ANI.

According to SP (city) Swatantra Kumar, the superstitious parents thought that a Gangasnan, a dip in the holy Ganga, would cure their son's blood cancer. He stated, "The aunt of the boy dipped him in front of his parents. The child was screaming at first, but later, the loud cries stopped. Bystanders rushed the child to the hospital, where he was declared dead."

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A video of the incident circulated on social media, allegedly depicting the boy's aunt, Sudha, immersing him in the river multiple times as his parents recited mantras.

Boy declared dead on arrival at hospital

After being taken to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead on arrival. Sudha and the boy's parents, Rajkumar and Shanti, have been brought into custody by the police.

The family, from northeast Delhi's Sonia Vihar, told the police that they had taken the boy to AIIMS-Delhi, where medical professionals advised them to go back home due to the advanced and incurable stage of the boy's cancer.

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Despite the medical advice, the family travelled to Haridwar, hoping to witness a miracle.

Around 2:00 pm on Monday, an eyewitness from Kurukshetra, Haryana, observed the boy being repeatedly submerged in the river. Describing the harrowing event, she said, "I screamed, and then a man pulled the child out of his aunt's grasp with force."

What Haridwar police has said so far

Despite efforts, the boy did not appear to be alive. Before the police could intervene, the family faced anger from irate pilgrims.

SP Kumar mentioned that the family's decision to seek divine intervention was a response to Ravi's health issues. He revealed that the boy's autopsy indicated drowning was not the cause of death.

Additionally, another senior police officer mentioned that they are investigating whether the child was already deceased when dipped in the river or if he succumbed to the cold.

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