A 35-year-old man in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, India died after reportedly swallowing a live chick as part of a ritual to address infertility.
Anand Yadav, a resident of Chhindkalo village, was rushed to Medical College Hospital after collapsing at home, according to India Today.
His family stated that he became dizzy and fainted after taking a bath, and the cause of death was initially unclear.
During the post-mortem, Dr. Santu Bag, who conducted the autopsy, discovered a 20 cm chick lodged in Anand’s throat, blocking his airway and food passage.
“This is the first time I have encountered such a case in my career, having performed over 15,000 post-mortems. The findings shocked us all,“ he said.
Villagers have suggested that Anand’s actions may have been influenced by superstitions, as he had been in contact with a local occultist.
Some believe that, in his struggle with infertility, he may have swallowed the live chick as part of an occult ritual, hoping it would help him become a father.
The investigation is currently underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.