A pregnant woman allegedly died after undergoing a surgical procedure carried out by an unqualified man posing as a doctor at a private clinic in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district. The incident took place in the Kahalgaon area, while the newborn baby survived, police and local residents said.
The woman has been identified as Swati Devi, a resident of Thakurganti Modhiya in Jharkhand. Her husband, Vikram Sah, works as a labourer. During her pregnancy, Swati had been staying at her maternal home in Rasalpur village, where her mother, Sushma Devi, was overseeing her medical care.
According to family members, Swati developed severe labour pain late at night and was rushed to a private clinic near Shrimath Sthan in the Ekchari Panchayat area. The clinic was allegedly being run by an unqualified person who had been posing as a doctor.
“The man examined my daughter and said surgery was necessary. We trusted him because she was already being treated there,” Swati’s mother said.
Local residents and the family alleged that the practitioner did not have proper medical qualifications or infrastructure. They claimed he attempted to perform the surgery after watching videos on YouTube on his mobile phone.
“During the operation, he and his assistant kept looking at their phones for guidance,” said a local resident who witnessed the incident.
Due to alleged negligence and lack of medical expertise, Swati suffered heavy bleeding during the procedure and died on the spot. The baby was delivered safely.
After Swati’s death, the accused practitioner and his assistant allegedly told the family that her condition was critical and advised them to take her to another hospital. They then shut down the clinic and fled, the family claimed.
The incident triggered anger among villagers and relatives, who gathered outside the clinic, placed the woman’s body there and staged a protest. They demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and strict action against illegal medical facilities operating in the area.
“This is not the first time such things have happened here. Earlier cases were suppressed, but now we want justice,” said Rajesh Kumar, a local resident.
Police from Rasalpur reached the spot after receiving information, brought the situation under control and sent the body for post-mortem examination. An investigation has been launched.
Police officials said action would be taken after the post-mortem report and further inquiry.
