Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, July 28: A four-year old girl, Manisha Sardar of Kowali in East Singhbhum district, and her mother, Binoti, were bitten by a snake on the night of July 22. Abhinath Sardar took his daughter and wife to the local exorcist instead of seeking medical attention. Their conditions deteriorated and they had to be admitted to the MGM Hospital. The girl, Manisha succumbed on the way while Binoti remained under treatment for five days. To add to their woes, Abhinath’s three year old son contacted malaria and also had to be admitted to the MGM Hospital.
Being cash strapped, Abhinath Sardar could not arrange for his daughter’s post mortem until five days of her demise. He sought the help of the local MLA, Gram Pradhan, and Mukhiya but to no avail. Mentioning his financial condition, Abhinath explained that he had to pay Rs 1,000 as ambulance charges for taking his wife and daughter to the hospital and another Rs 3,000 for transporting his daughter’s body for autopsy and later bringing it back home. Though he is the holder of a red card, he did not get any financial relief. He sought help from MLA Sanjeev Sardar, Chorugoda Gram Pradhan Uday Hansda, and Mukhiya Saraswati Murmu, but no one offered assistance.
Abhinath, a resident of Roteda in Kowali, East Singhbhum, lives with his wife Binoti Sardar and their five children. He works as a laborer.
