Patna: A self-styled healer was arrested in Sitamarhi on Wednesday after a video allegedly showing him shaking children, spinning them by their legs and throwing them to the ground in the name of curing ailments went viral on social media. The footage, recorded at a cremation ground in Mahadevpatti village under Parihar block, captures children screaming during the alleged ritual, police said.According to the police, the accused, identified as Shravan Bhagat, son of Ras Narayan Mahto and a resident of Mahadevpatti village, was arrested by a joint team of Parihar and Mehsaul police stations near Sitamarhi railway station.Sadar SDPO Rajiv Kumar Singh said locals identified the man in the video as Shravan Bhagat, who allegedly claimed to cure children with disabilities and others suffering from various ailments through tantra-mantra and traditional rituals.According to local sources, such alleged healing sessions had been taking place at the cremation ground every Monday and Friday for nearly four years. People from nearby areas brought children and other family members to the site in the hope of finding a cure for various physical and other problems. The viral video raised serious concerns about the safety and treatment of children brought to the site and prompted police intervention.Taking cognisance of the footage, police registered an FIR on Tuesday under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. “He was nabbed by a joint police team near Sitamarhi railway station. He will be produced before the court and sent to judicial custody,” the SDPO said.
