In a shocking incident, a Christian family residing in Siswar village falling under the jurisdiction of Bhudkuda police station in Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh, has been praying to Jesus for the last three days in a desperate attempt to bring back their four-year-old dead daughter to life.

The family, instead of burying the body of the child who died on Thursday evening, had reportedly kept the corpse confined at their relatives’ house in Karubir village in Mau, Uttar Pradesh, and have been ‘praying’ for her resurrection. The family who adopted Christianity a few years ago was convinced by people of their community that the child could be revived by praying to Jesus.

In what transpired on November 14, a 4-year-old child named Mahima, daughter of Arvind Vanvasi was rushed to the local health centre after she started vomiting and complained of a severe stomach ache. The doctors further referred Mahima to another hospital in Mau district in Uttar Pradesh. However, the girl’s condition deteriorated and she died during the treatment.

After the hospital handed over the corpse to the family, the child’s father, instead of laying her to rest, took Mahima’s body to the maternal grandmother’s house in Karubir village in Mau, Uttar Pradesh. At the behest of Rajendra Chauhan, a resident of Garudayalpur village of Jaunpur, some people of the village reportedly placed the corpse in a hut and began reading the bible, believing that the girl will soon wake up.

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The body was kept in the shanty for three days following which SP Anurag Arya learnt about the incident. He then sent SO Vinod Kumar Tiwari along with a team of police personnel to the village to try and convince the family to let go of the girl. Upon police intervention, the dead child’s family stated that they will wait till Sunday and if the girl doesn’t wake up, they will arrange for her burial.

Upon enquiry, it was reportedly found that the entire village has been involved in the superstitious act. The locals had claimed that a young girl named Sarita from the village was also declared dead by doctors, but after days of prayer, she was ‘resurrected’ and is now living with her family.

It is being alleged that the Christian villagers who were pushing such ignorant people into believing in such practices were also carrying out forceful religious conversions for the last 12 years.