The death of a young boy recently caused outrage throughout India and reignited the heated debate regarding the potentially deadly consequences of superstition and the denial of proper medical care. Acting on the instructions of a ‘witch doctor’, a rural family kept their 13-year-old son submerged in the holy water of the Ganges River for 12 hours, instead of taking him to a hospital after he got bitten by a poisonous snake.

Amit, a Class 4 student from Pitampur village in Uttar Pradesh, was bitten by a snake last Thursday. He immediately told his family what had happened, but instead of rushing him to a hospital, they decided to consult a witch doctor. He reportedly told the family to tie Amit to bamboo poles and keep his body submerged in the Ganges River, so that the holy water of the river could cure him.

Indian media reports that only after 12 hours, after noticing that Amit had become unconscious, the family finally decided to take him to a real doctor, but by that time, there was nothing to be done. Even after learning of Amit’s passing, they allegedly tried to throw his body into the Ganges, hoping for a miracle.

Dr. Shashank Chaudhary of the local health centre told reporters that he and his colleagues routinely conduct awareness-raising campaigns, urging people to come to the hospital immediately after getting bitten by snakes, as every minute counts.

Amit’s preventable death sparked outrage on social media, with many asking for his parents to face consequences for their negligence. At this time, it is unknown if the police plan on charging the family in this tragic case.