Last of six siblings dies, toll rises to 17 at Rajouri village

The death of another 15-year-old girl at a Jammu hospital on Sunday due to a mysterious illness has brought the total number of fatalities in Badhaal village, Rajouri district, to 17. The young girl was the last of the six children from Mohammad Aslam’s family who were admitted to the government hospital on January 12. Tragically, all six children have died on different days since then.

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The girl’s ECG was conducted at 6:16 pm on Sunday, after which doctors confirmed her death. Mohammad Aslam and his wife are now the only surviving members of the family, following the tragic loss of their six children.

These mysterious deaths have devastated three interrelated families in the village, leading to widespread speculation since the deaths began occurring a month ago. While the government has clarified that the deaths are not due to any communicable disease or virus, the police are investigating the matter under a Special Investigating Team (SIT), which was formed after indications of foul play behind the deaths emerged.

So far, the SIT has questioned 70 people from Badhaal village, including relatives of the three affected families, but there has been no significant progress in the investigation.

In response to the ongoing crisis, a Central team, constituted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, arrived in Rajouri on Sunday evening.

The team met with various departments of the Union Territory at the Dak Bunglow in Rajouri. The Central Government intervened following the series of deaths, forming a team of experts from multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Ministry of Water Resources.

The team will also be supported by experts from animal husbandry, food safety, and forensic science labs.

The team will provide immediate relief while implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future.