HYDERABAD: A greedy father’s superstition seems to have cut his beloved daughter’s life short.
A 13-year-old girl, who was fasting for around 68 days only to bring profits to her father’s jewellery business, allegedly died due to ill health. Even though the incident took place on October 2, it came to light here on Friday when the Balala Hakkula Sangam president Achyut Rao lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy, seeking immediate action against the girl’s parents.
According to Rao, the deceased was identified as Aradhana, class VIII student of St Francis school in Secunderabad. He further said in his complaint that a priest from Chennai had advised the couple Lakshmichand and Manisha to make their daughter observe fast for at least four months in order to get profits in business.
“Based on the priest’s advice, Aradhana was forcibly starved for 68 days,” the Balala Hakkula Sangam president claimed. “During the meeting, the victim collapsed on the ground and slipped into coma. Immediately, she was shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead,” he added.