Many fall ill after taking meal at ‘shradh’ of ex-ML leader in Jehanabad

PATNA: Several people, who had taken meal at the ‘shradh’ of former CPI-ML state secretary Ramjatan Sharma at Amarpura village under the Pali police station area in Jehanabad district on Friday night, fell ill on Saturday and were admitted to different hospitals. Sharma (79) had passed away at Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology in Patna on June 6 following a cardiac arrest.
Though Jehanabad DM Navin Kumar said only four people had fallen ill from among 60 who had attended the function, a local said at least 500 villagers had gathered at the event and more than 100 of them developed fever, diarrhoea and vomiting by Saturday morning.Incidentally, only 20 people are allowed to attend ‘shradh’ functions amid Covid-induced partial lockdown in the state.
Jaya Prakash, a local, told TOI over phone on Sunday that at least 500 people had gathered at the function as Sharma had huge support base in the region. “People had come from at least seven villages, including Amarpur Pali, Nigar Pali and Makhdumpur,” he said, adding 100 of them fell ill by Saturday morning and were rushed to different hospitals in Jehanabad and Patna.
However, the DM said just four ill people were being treated at Kako PHC. “There is nothing serious. The SDO had visited the spot,” he said.
SHO of Pali police station Akash Kumar said they came to know about the mass illness on Sunday. “An FIR has been lodged by Kako circle officer Dinkar Kumar against Sharma’s son Mrityunjay Kumar for violating lockdown norms. At least 60 people had gathered at the function,” he said.
Randhir Kumar, a sub-inspector posted at Pali police station, said Sharma’s son, an engineer, had come to Amarpura from Bengaluru to perform the ‘shradh’ rituals.
“No prior information about the function was given to the police. Several ill people took medicines on their own and got cured,” Kumar added.