Lucknow: Barabanki police have registered an FIR for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences after a woman died during an alleged faith-healing ritual at a shrine in Deva town of the district. Three accused, including a self-styled godman, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, while the investigation has also brought the victim’s in-laws under scrutiny.The arrested men have been identified as Munna, described by police as a self-styled godman, his associate Qadeer Ahmad, and the woman’s husband, Ankit Yadav. They were produced before a local court on Wednesday, which remanded them to jail.The woman, Ruby, lived in Gwari area of Gomti Nagar in Lucknow. Police said she was brought to a mazar in Deva around 12 days ago for jhaad-phoonk, a form of faith healing or exorcism. Her family has alleged that she was kept at the shrine during this period.According to the police account, Ruby’s health worsened on Monday evening. Her husband took her to Community Health Centre in Deva, where doctors declared her dead. Later that night, her parental family reached Deva from Sitapur after being informed about her death.The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint by Ruby’s father, Pramod Yadav. Along with the three arrested accused, the complaint names Ruby’s in-laws as accused. The case includes sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder as well as cruelty and harassment.In the complaint, Pramod Yadav alleged that Ruby married Ankit Yadav about eight years ago and faced sustained harassment from her in-laws since then. He claimed the alleged abuse affected her mental and physical health and that she was subsequently taken to the Deva shrine in the name of faith healing, where she died.Deva SHO Alok Mani Tripathi said Munna is a resident of Sethmau village in Satrikh, and Qadeer Ahmad is from Sheikh locality in Deva. Police said the investigation is examining all angles, including the sequence of events at the shrine, to determine the circumstances of Ruby’s death and the role of each accused.
