Daltonganj: A botched tooth extraction procedure by a quack, who was allegedly running a dental clinic, killed a 29-year-old woman at Harihurganj in Palamu district on Tuesday, police said.Sources said Bijayanti Devi from Bihar’s Kutumba police station limits visited the clinic run by Ashraf Ali along with her husband, Mukesh, on Tuesday. Harihurganj borders Bihar.“The woman had a cavity problem and swollen gum,” officer in-charge of Harihurganj police station, Deobrat Poddar said, quoting Mukesh’s statement.Ali extracted her tooth but soon her condition began to deteriorate. Sensing trouble, Ali escaped stating that he was going out to arrange an ambulance. The couple waited for him but in vain.“Somehow, Mukesh later managed to take his wife to the community health centre at Harihurganj, where the doctor declared her dead,” added Poddar, adding that a search is on for Ali.Mukesh lodged an FIR against Ali with Harihurganj police station, following which a case was registered under Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of BNS.Palamu civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Srivastava said excessive bleeding and shock could have led to her death. He said the clinic was sealed on Wednesday in the presence of a magistrate accompanied by police.He added that the clinic was also sealed last year for non-registration under the Clinical Establishments Act. “Ali had then submitted an affidavit to have a regular and qualified dentist,” said Srivastava.Ali had even paid a penalty of Rs 5,000 for reopening the clinic. “He, however, seemed to have violated the norms which proved fatal for the patient,” he added.
