Woman drowns in Ganga during exorcism by ‘tantrik’

Meerut: In a tragic fallout of blind faith, a 24-year-old woman undergoing medical treatment for a liver ailment was swept away and drowned in the Ganga River during an alleged exorcism ritual in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district. An investigation was officially launched on Friday.Pooja, a resident of Bhiroli village in Jahangirabad area, had been diagnosed with fatty liver disease and an intestinal infection a month ago. When her condition did not improve, her husband, Lalit Kumar, a farm labourer, was persuaded by locals to consult a neighborhood occultist (tantrik).“He insisted that Pooja was not sick and convinced me she was possessed by the spirits of my late sister and three uncles,” Kumar told TOI, adding that the tantrik charged Rs 3,600 fee alongside Rs 1,500 for ritual materials.On Tuesday evening, the tantrik and his two associates took Pooja, her husband and her brother to the riverbank near the Sambhal bridge in Anupshahar area.According to Kumar, the occultists forced Pooja to stand on a submerged stone in deep water. After executing a series of rituals, an associate instructed her to plunge into the river. Pooja lost her footing and was swept away by the strong current.“I pleaded for help, but they threatened me into silence.

Instead of helping, they fled the spot,” Kumar alleged.An extensive search operation was launched by local divers and the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) flood unit on Wednesday. Pooja’s body was recovered on Thursday morning by a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team at Mastram Ghat, roughly 4.5km downstream.Bulandshahr SSP Dinesh Kumar confirmed the development, stating, “The body has been sent for postmortem. The allegations against the tantrik are being verified, and appropriate legal action will be initiated upon completing the initial probe and receiving a formal complaint.”Pooja is survived by her husband and three young children.