A 13-year-old girl in India died after participating in a 68-day religious fast.
Aradhana Samdhariya from the minority Jain community died from cardiac arrest on Oct. 3, just one day after her family held a religious ceremony in the southern city of Hyderabad, Reuters reports.
The end of the fast was celebrated with a huge event at the family’s house called “paarana” where Samdhariya rode in a chariot with her parents.
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According to the Times of India, Samdhariya was rushed to a hospital the day after because of dehydration.
The girl had slipped into coma after prolonged starvation; doctors said that her intestines had dried up and both her kidneys were also severely damaged, the news outlet reports.
Now, a children’s rights group called for Indian police to arrest the parents.
“It is a planned, cruel murder. We have complained to the police to arrest the parents and the priest,” P Achyuta Rao, honorary president of Balala Hakkula Sangham, an Andhra Pradesh-based children’s rights group, told Reuters on Sunday.
The girl’s parents likely forced her to participate in the ritual of surviving only on water, for a second straight year, the child rights body said in its complaint.
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Local police are investigating the incident. “We are booking the case. The investigation shall go on,” said the officer handling the case who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The 13-year-old girl wanted to continue her religious observation for 68 days on her own free will, her family told police.
“In fact, in the meantime, they objected also but she didn’t listen to them and she was very much interested to continue for 68 days, is what they are saying,” the officer said.
Family members have publicly denied forcing the girl to fast during the holy period of Chaumasa, observed by the Jain community from July.
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Jainism, is one of the world’s most ancient religions that prescribes the path of non-violence towards all living beings.
“We did not hide anything. Everyone knew Aradhana was fasting. They came and took selfies with her. Now some people are pointing fingers at us for allowing her to fast for 68 days,” her grandfather, Manekchand Samdhariya, told news channel NDTV.
–With files from Thomson Reuters
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