Khargone: A shocking incident from Balakwada, Khargone district, has sparked outrage after a Class 11 student from a government hostel died allegedly due to an injection administered by a quack operating an illegal clinic.
Incident Details
The student, who developed fever, cough, and cold on Tuesday evening, was taken by hostel staff to the nearby clinic of Chauhan, an unlicensed practitioner. After being injected, the boy’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he collapsed. He was rushed to the district hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Police said Chauhan initially tried to take the student to the hospital himself but abandoned him midway under the pretext of no fuel in his vehicle and fled.
Community Anger and Investigation
The student’s death triggered protests by local residents and student groups, demanding strict action against quacks. The body was sent for post-mortem before being handed over to the family and cremated on Wednesday.
Assistant Commissioner for Tribal Welfare Iqbal Hussain Adil ordered the Block Education Officer of Maheshwar to submit a detailed report within three days. The hostel warden has also been suspended pending inquiry.
Quack Arrested
On Friday, police arrested Chauhan, who has no medical qualifications or registration, and presented him before court. He was remanded to judicial custody. A raid on his clinic by the Block Medical Officer (BMO) and Kasrawad tehsildar led to the seizure of allopathic medicines.
Based on the BMO’s report, police registered a case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 15(2)(b) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
Protests and Demands
Student organisations staged demonstrations outside the Kasrawad tehsil office and Balakwada police station, demanding a thorough investigation and immediate crackdown on illegal practitioners in the region.