West Bengal: Newborn falls ill as eunuchs forcibly dance with him, dies

JHARGRAM: Three eunuchs were arrested after one of twin baby boys they forcibly danced with died soon after at Jhargram hospital on Friday. Villagers in Radhanagar — in Jhargram’s Silda — held them captive after the 50-day-old child, Suman, fell ill when the eunuchs were dancing with him. As Suman showed signs of collapsing, his father Chandan Khilar rushed the baby to Silda Hospital, which referred him to Jhargram Hospital, where the infant died.
The arrested trio — Rumala Mondal, Suhana Mondal and Rani Mondal — had knocked on Khilar’s house around 9.30am. Khilar’s wife Tanima had delivered the twins on December 4 and they had been at the local hospital’s neonatal care unit for a month. The family had brought the boys home just 20 days ago.
Khilar, a driver, said, “The three eunuchs got wind that we had infants in our house and knocked on our door on Friday morning. They demanded Rs 12,000 and wanted to dance with our twins. I told them I could not afford the money they were demanding. After a lot of negotiation, we agreed on Rs 2,000. I requested them to take the money and leave without dancing with our babies. But they insisted. While they were dancing, Suman fell very ill. I rushed him to our local hospital where doctors advised we take him to Jhargram Hospital. Suman passed away soon after.”
Khilar then lodged a police complaint.
His neighbours in Radhanagar had caught the three eunuchs after Khilar left for the hospital and they later turned them over to a team of officers that arrived in the village.
Jhargram SP Amit Kumar Bharat Rathore said, “We are investigating the complaint of the deceased child’s father. We have arrested the trio whom the father has accused in his complaint. They all belong to the third gender.”