Girl dies after fasting: Jain Samaj president blasts media for twisting facts

Expressing grief over the death of a 13-year-old girl in Hyderabad last week after fasting for 68 days during the holy period of 'Chaumasa', Jain Samaj president Ashok Kumar Sanklecha today said that she might have died due to some complications, adding that it would not be appropriate to hold the religion responsible for the same.

"If someone is no more then it's definitely sad news. But the manner in which it has been circulated in the media that her death was a conspiracy and a result of blindly following the Jain religion then I must tell you all that the Jain religion is a scientific religion, every step taken by us is scientific," Sanklecha told the media here.

"We will prove this in a press conference tomorrow. We don't force anyone to sit on a fast," he added.

Aradhana, a class 8 student, was admitted to the hospital two days after completing her fast where she died of cardiac arrest. However, certain reports claim that the girl was brought dead.

Questions are being raised why the girl's family allowed her to give up school and sit on a fast.

The incident prompted city police to launch an inquiry into the incident after a child rights NGO sought a probe.