According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tulsi Adhikari, 12-year-old Madan Marsangee lost his life while going through conventional shamanistic treatment. [break]
Madan, a fifth grader, was under treatment by the faith-healers for the last one and half months. He died in the room where he was being treated.
“Preliminary investigations show that Madan was being treated against his parents´ wishes. The child was suffering from meningitis and the faith-healers had brainwashed them against taking him to a doctor,” said Adhikari.
“We had rushed our son to Janakpur and Kathmandu when he started to develop severe headaches and sporadic vomiting but he was not cured. We then came across the traditional healers and they promised to cure him. Later they did not let us take our son away in the middle of their treatment,” said Madan´s mother Harimaya Marshangee.
A team led by DSP Adhikari caught the faith-healers after learning about the child´s death. They have identified the arrested as chief faith-healer Puja Lama, Anju Shrestha, Kalpana Shrestha, Usha Kingring and Bishu Bhujel.
Adhikari said that police took control of the child´s body after locals informed him about the death. “We confiscated the body while the family was taking it away for last rites,” said Adhikari. “The cheeks bore stains, most probably left by hot iron rods,” he added.
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