In a tragic incident from Pang, Kottakkal in Malappuram, the body of a one-year-old boy, Esen Erhan, was exhumed for autopsy after he reportedly died at home from jaundice. The child’s parents, Navas and Hira Harira, an acupuncture therapist, had laid him to rest without notifying authorities or conducting a mandatory postmortem, as required when a child dies at home.
Health department officials confirmed that Esen had been suffering from jaundice but received no medical attention. The parents, it is alleged, avoided standard treatment and failed to take the child to a hospital, leading to his death on Friday evening.
Following mounting public outcry and suspicion of medical negligence, Malappuram District Medical Officer Dr. Renuka ordered a thorough inquiry. “It appears the child wasn’t given any care or medication. We directed the police to act,” she told TNIE.
Initially, the family resisted efforts to exhume the body. However, after prolonged talks involving police, community elders, and religious figures, the relatives consented. The child’s remains were taken to Manjeri Medical College, where a postmortem is scheduled for Sunday.
The Kadampuzha police have registered a case under unnatural death. Health officials earlier visited the house and gathered testimonies from neighbours and relatives. Their preliminary findings revealed the parents refused vaccinations and followed unscientific beliefs — including the notion that rain exposure could cure jaundice.
Authorities are now investigating reports that the couple promoted unsafe healing methods.