Cancer-stricken child dipped in Ganga in hope of miracle; drowns
A five-year-old boy suffering from blood cancer lost his life after his aunt submerged him in the freezing Ganga River at Har Ki Pauri, allegedly drowning him. Per reports, the boy was held underwater for about five minutes. The boy's family, from Delhi, had taken him to Haridwar, Uttar Pradesh, after doctors had given up on his treatment. Hoping for a "miracle cure," the aunt repeatedly submerged him in the river while his parents chanted mantras on the banks.
Disturbing video shows aunt submerging boy in freezing river
Despite the boy's cries, his aunt continued until he suffocated and died. A bystander recorded a video of the event, showing the boy's aunt submerging him underwater. Concerned onlookers noticed the child was underwater for long and asked the family to stop. When they refused, those gathered at the scene forcefully brought the boy out. The aunt reportedly reacted aggressively, even attempting to attack those who intervened. The boy was eventually taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
'Child will wake up, this is my promise,' said aunt
At one point, the aunt was seen laughing while sitting near the child's dead body. "Keep recording video. This child will wake up, this is my promise," she was heard saying in the video. A tantric in Delhi allegedly told the aunt to immerse the boy in Ganga for around five minutes. The boy was being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
Disturbing video of the alleged incident
Case filed against the trio
An eyewitness reported the incident to the police, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Har Ki Pauri Police Station, Bhavna Kainthola, said. A case has been filed, and the boy's parents and the aunt have been detained for questioning. Meanwhile, Haridwar city police chief Swantantra Kumar said that they are getting the reports from the Delhi hospital. "But at this point, it appears that they brought the boy here because they believed that Ganga snan would cure him," he said.
