Kanpur: My son is being framed, says father of the arrested quack in

SHIV BAKSH KHEDA

(

UNNAO

): Sitting desolately on a cot in the verandah of his newly-constructed house in Shiv Baksh Kheda near Bangarmau town, an ailing Nattha is in a state of denial. “I can’t believe my son is solely responsible for causing the spread of

HIV

among the villagers,” said the 90-year-old father of quack Rajendra Yadav, who was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly infecting 58 people with the virus over the last year through a single syringe.


Since his son’s arrest, Nathha has been pleading every visitor with folded hands to find out the truth and ensure his son’s release.

“My son has been implicated in the case. I want to ask the authorities why there is not a single infected person in the village. I want the people to find out the facts. There are many quacks operating in the area, and there could be many other reasons, but the authorities have made him a scapegoat,” Nattha said.

Rajendra, who was arrested on Wednesday, is the sole breadwinner of the family, including his ailing father. The family now stares at an uncertain future with no source of income.

Local villagers alleged that Rajendra was tortured to confess. “The police, in connivance with the health authorities, has implicated him to work out the case,” said Pradeep, a local villager.

Raghu, who claimed to be Rajendra’s childhood friend, said: “Everyone in the village will vouch for his innocence. He used to medically help us during emergency. We all know him, he could never reuse syringe or needle. He is a graduate and knows the consequences of reused syringe and needle.”

A few other villagers, meanwhile, demanded urgent preventive steps and screening of villagers of Shiv Baksh Kheda.

“There is an urgent need to organise a screening camp to check the status of people in Shiv Baksh Kheda,” said a villager preferring anonymity.

Chief medical officer

(CMO) Dr SP Chowdhary said, “People of Shiv Baksh Kheda will be soon screened through health camps. There is no need to panic.”