STARVATION DEATH: WOMEN TAKE PROBE OFFICERS CAPTIVE

DHANBAD: Women living in the neighbourhood of Savitri Devi, who allegedly died of starvation in Magargaddi village under Dumri block of Giridih district on Saturday, held district administration officers captive on Tuesday. The team was visiting the family for further probe.

The incident occurred at 11.30am on Wednesday when the team reportedly asked the women living in the neighbourhood to sign certain documents as witness in the case, without showing their content. The women demanded that the content of the papers be shown to them and they ‘gheraoed’ the officers, holding them captive.

The incident comes a day after a probe report of the specially-constituted district administration panel said that Savitri did not die of ‘starvation’, as was being alleged, and that she had ₹2,375 in her bank account. It said she was on her ‘death bed’ as she was suffering from haematoma and underwent treatment for the disease at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, in January.

The women let the officers free after 15 minutes, following intervention by senior villagers. Additional collector Ashok Kumar Sah, who was leading the team, said, “I had asked the sons of the deceased to sign about the number of family members they had.” Hiralal Mahto and Hulas Mahto, sons of the deceased, signed the paper.

THE WOMEN OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD LET THE OFFICERS, WHO WERE CONDUCTING THE PROBE IN THE VILLAGE, FREE AFTER 15 MINUTES, FOLLOWING INTERVENTION BY SENIOR VILLAGERS