MP: Infant victim of fire ritual loses battle of life; tantrik held
Shivpuri (MP), Mar 19 (PTI): A six-month-old baby who was hung upside down over fire in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district by an occultist during a ritual 'to rid him of shadows' last week succumbed to injuries during treatment, police said on Wednesday.
Kolaras police station in-charge Ravi Chouhan said baby Mayank died during treatment at Kamla Raja Hospital in Gwalior on Tuesday.
He said the baby's family members buried the body without informing the police.
"The body will be exhumed for conducting postmortem," Chouhan added.
The shocking incident occurred in Kolaras area on March 13 after the baby's parents took him to tantrik Raghuveer Dhakad's house to 'treat' him for discomfort.
What followed was an 'exorcism' ritual after the tantrik told parents that their son was being haunted by some shadows.
The incident came to light when the parents took their son to the Shivpuri district hospital, from where he was referred to Gwalior for further treatment, police had said.
The ritual badly damaged the eyes of the infant.
The tantrik was arrested on Monday.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
