Hyderabad city police started investigating the death of 13-year-old Aradhna Jain, a day after completing 68-day long religious fasting in the city.
The investigations are opened after allegations were made that girl’s father, a businessman had forced her to go on prolonged fast to help him recover from losses.
Though the family members have strongly rejected the allegations the incident has left the Jain community divided with many prominent members of the community coming out against the long fasting by a 13-year-old girl.
The girl died of cardiac arrest on October 2, a day after a grand ceremony was held to mark the completion of her fast attended by more than 600 people. It was a well publicised event as Ada were released in the local Hindi newspapers and even a State Minister Padma Rao was also invited to the function.
The incident came to light now after a child rights organisation lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad Police commissioner M Mahinder Reddy.
What has added to the woes of the family is that the girl was not admitted to hospital even after her condition had deteriorated and when she was brought doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Deputy Commissioner of Police B Somati said that a an entry has been made in general diary and matter was being investigated. Police have recorded the statement of girl's father lakshmi Chand, grand father Manil Chand and a few neighbours.
“We will take action on the basis of the outcome of the investigation,” she said.
Denying the allegations that he had forced his daughter to go on fast lakshmi Chand said that he can not imagine doing any such thing. "She was a religious minded girl and wanted to become Jain Sadhavi. But i had told her to wait till she turns sixteen", the father said. "It is a nightmare that my daughter's life was cut short", he said.
Meanwhile Jain community was divided on the issue of ritualistic fasting by a minor girl for such a long period of time.
"It was an objectionable act on the part of the family to allow a minor girl to fast for 68 days", said Rajesh Shah president Shree Simandhar Digambar Jain Mandir in Hyderabad.