Six-month-old dies after being hit with sticks due to superstition

After claiming that God had entered his soul, a man picked up a fight with a fellow villager in Rajasthan. He eventually picked a stick and began assaulting him, several blows also landing on an infant child the other man had in his arms.

India may be making forays towards the Moon but the menace of superstitions keep rearing its ugly head in many rural parts of the country. In yet another tragic example of how blind faith snuffed out an innocent life, a six-month-old baby died after being hit with sticks by a man who claimed God had entered his soul.

The unfortunate incident took place in a Rajasthani village called Madnakheri in Baran district of the state. A man called Gangaram Bheel that God had entered his soul and used this to pick up a fight with a fellow villager called Karan Bheel. It is reported that when Karan asked Gangaram to leave, Gangaram allegedly assaulted him with a stick. Several blows also landed on the infant who was in the arms of Karan at the time.

The infant was rushed to a local hospital but she was declared 'brought dead.'

The family members of the baby have now lodged a complaint at the police station and demanded that only the strictest of punishment for Gangaram would do. It is reported that Gangaram has claimed innocence and tried to explain that it was not he who assaulted.

Incidents of superstitions and blind faith leading to fatal conclusions is still not entirely uncommon in many parts of the country. Many locals in rural states still rely on quack doctors for treatment rather than go to a qualified medical practitioner. Several awareness programs against superstitions and blind faith are organised by central and state governments.