13-year-old Hyderabad girl dies after 68 days fasting as per Jain rituals

Hyderabad: A 13-year-old girl from Hyderabad died last week after 68 days fasting during the Jain holy period called Chaumasa.

According to a NDTV report, the girl, Aradhana, was admitted to a hospital just two days after she finished her 68 days fast, where she died of cardiac arrest.

About 600 people attended her funeral and hailed her as a 'bal tapasvi'.

“It has been a practice for people to undertake severe penance when they give up even food and water. They are glorified, lauded and honoured at community meetings by the religious elders. They are also showered with gifts. But in this case it was a minor and that is my objection. This is suicide if not murder,” a member of the community, Lata Jain, was quoted as saying.

The class 8 student was allowed to give up school so she could fast. People known to the family said that the girl had earlier undertaken a fast of 41 days and survived.

According to B Sumathi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone), a case would be filed after a preliminary inquiry into the incident. As of now, we have made an entry in the general dairy, she said.

A local NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham (Child Rights Association) had yesterday wrote a letter to Hyderabad Police Commissioner seeking an inquiry into the girl's death earlier this week.

The NGO had alleged that the minor's family members and other community elders made her undertake a fast for over 60 days as part of a ritual.

"The girl was studying 8th class in St Francis School. She was on fast for 68 days. It was over on October 1. She was on a liquid diet for the first two days (after the fast).”

"On the third night, her blood pressure dipped and she was taken to a private hospital here where she was declared dead. We are talking to the parents and other relatives of the girl. As of now we made a GD entry. An inquiry is going on. Once something is made out of the inquiry, then we will take action legally," Sumathi said.

Although the date of the girl's demise is still unclear, Association President Anuradha Rao, in the letter, claimed that the minor, residing in Pot Bazar of Secunderabad, died on October 3.

Aradhana's grandfather, Manekchand Samdhariya, said, “We did not hide anything. Everyone knew Aradhana was fasting. They came and took selfies with her.”