The Hyderabad High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Lakshmichand Samderiya and his wife, who were the parents of 13-year-old Aradhana Samaderiya who died after a 68-day-fast as part of a Jain religious ritual.
The New Indian Express reported that the parents are likely to get arrested by the Market Police in Secunderabad.
While hearing the case, the HC remarked that the anticipatory bail would not be the right solution, as the couple should have taken more care with regard to the child and said that the right message should be conveyed to the entire community, the TNIE report added.
Aradhana, a resident of Pot Bazar in Secunderabad fell sick late in the night of October 3, following which she was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead and said that she had died due to cardiac arrest.
However, the incident came to light only on October 7, after an NGO lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police, seeking action against the girl’s parents.
The police claimed that the certificate by the doctor which declared her death, was the only evidence they had, and it was insufficient to make a headway in the case.
Ever since the death of the 13-year-old, Jain leaders have also spoken out and stood behind the family of the girl.
“We will support the Jain family morally and legally, because we know they did not do anything wrong. Aradhana’s death is a loss for the whole community, and it was not because of the fast,” Jain guru Sri Ravindra Muniji had said earlier.
The Jain guru also said that the community was being targeted and warned activists not to interfere.