Police takes away child's body for cremation

The body of a five-year-old girl child was taken away from her home at Uluberia in West Bengal's Howrah district and cremated by the police as her mother guarded it for three days in the belief that she would return to life.

Police said today the child Pranita Santra had died of hepatitis B at the Calcutta Medical College Hospital on December 27.

Her mother Rina (40) claiming that the child had spoken out while being taken to her home at Raghudebpur, had taken her to a priest at Gadiara, known in the area to practice witchcraft, the next day.

The priest had allegedly assured Rina that her daughter would return to life after three days following which she zealously guarded Pranita's body in her bedroom and sprinkled it with the water given to her.

Police stepped in yesterday evening as the news reached it and took away the body for cremation.

The woman has two other children and Pranita was the youngest. Her estranged husband, too, believed in the priest's alleged assurances.

No arrests were made as there were no complaints, the police said.