CUTTACK: The controversy over using black magic for treatment of a snakebite patient at a hospital in Balasore district has taken a new turn after six months with Orissa High Court directing the SP to take a decision on registration of FIR on it.
The incident occurred at Baliapal CHC on September 19, 2020. A block programme manager allegedly treated a snakebite patient by black magic to cure him instead of primary medical treatment. Controversy sparked off when video of the incident went viral and a complaint was lodged at Baliapal police station on November 28, 2020 by social activist Anuj Mohapatra and four others.
As no FIR was registered at the police station, they filed a criminal miscellaneous petition on February 24 seeking HC intervention. When the matter was taken up on Tuesday, the single judge bench of Justice Biswajit Mohanty granted liberty to the petitioners to take their grievance to the SP within two weeks.