Two brothers aged 15 and 10 have died after their family reportedly turned to a tantric ritual to treat their high fever before their condition deteriorated and they were rushed to hospital.
India Today reported that the two boys and their mother, Sangeeta Devi, had developed fever about three to four days earlier.
The family reportedly believed the illness was caused by supernatural forces and sought the help of a tantric practitioner, who carried out rituals and recited mantras at their home.
The treatment was said to have continued for three days, but the condition of all three family members continued to worsen.
When the two boys became unconscious, their family rushed them to Sadar Ramgarh Hospital, where doctors confirmed that both had died.
Their mother was also in critical condition and was referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for further treatment.
The actual cause of the illness affecting the three family members has yet to be established.
Following the incident, Patratu Block Development Officer Manoj Gupta visited the village and met the victims’ family.
He assured them of assistance and said efforts would be made to provide compensation in accordance with government regulations.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Engineering Department collected water samples from a nearby hand pump after all three family members fell ill around the same time.
The samples will be tested to determine whether water contamination or an infection could have played a role in the incident.
