KOZHIKODE: Police have arrested a local Imam and the father of 11-year-old girl M A Fathima hailing from Naluvayal in Kannur town, who died of fever on Sunday after being denied timely medical treatment.
Police arrested the girl’s father, Abdul Sathar, 55, of Hidayath House, and Muhammed Uvais, 30, the Imam of the Kunhipalli mosque in Kannur city, after the duo resorted to superstitious treatment, which led to the girl's death on Sunday.
Police said that instead of providing proper treatment to Fathima, who was suffering from pneumonia, the accused gave her fake ‘holy water’ as part of the superstitious treatment.
According to police, the girl was suffering from fever for three days and died after developing pneumonia on Sunday. She was taken to a private hospital on Sunday morning only after her condition worsened but could not be saved.
Kannur district police chief R Ilango said the duo have been arrested under IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the girl’s father has also been booked under Juvenile Justice Act.
“The Imam had told the girl’s father multiple times that there was no need to take her to the hospital and instead gave him water after some chanting and asked him to give it to the girl. He also told them to recite some religious verses,” Ilango said. He also proscribed the parents from seeking modern medical treatment.
“The child lost her life due to the negligent act of the accused. Also, they failed to provide the girl proper treatment even after knowing that failure to treat her would lead to her death,” he said.
Police are also examining three similar deaths that happened in the Sathar’s family in the past after the persons had desisted from seeking medical treatment allegedly as per the Imam’s advice.
Police registered the case based on a complaint from Siraj, Sathar's relative, raising suspicion over the girl’s death.
