Orissa: AIDS patient stoned to death

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AIDS patient stoned to death in Orissa

By ANI, Wednesday September 6, 01:23 PM

Puri, Sept 6 (ANI): In an incident that underlines the stigma

attached with AIDS patients in India, a 35-year-old man with full-

blown AIDS died after he was pelted with stones inside a hospital

compound in Orissa's Temple town of Puri.

The victim, Loknath Mishra, had tested HIV positive two years ago

and was ostracized by his neighbours who feared that he might spread

the virus in among them.

His brother, Harihar told the police that some people had threatened

Mishra after they found that he had AIDS.

On the night of August 27, he was strolling in the vicinity of the

hospital, when some people threw stones at him that resulted in a

fatal injury.

" Since that day, he had stopped eating. My mother used to take food

for him to the hospital everyday, but he would ever say: mother I am

not hungry, I cannot eat, I no longer feel hungry, I feel dizzy and

I vomit. I won't live for long, I'll die, " Harihar said.

Police officials said that investigations were on, and they are

waiting for the post mortem report to take further actions.

" He had received a severe head injury and he was subsequently being

treated at Headquarter Hospital in Puri. We have taken up the

enquiry and are waiting for the post mortem report to determine the

exact cause of death, " said Sanjeev Panda, Superintendent of Police,

Puri.

According to the United Nations estimate, at least 5.7 million

Indians live with HIV.

Due to ignorance, many Indians think that eating or touching a

person with HIV could result in the virus spreading to them.

Earlier in July 2003, a HIV positive woman in Andhra Pradesh was

stoned to death by relatives and neighbours. (ANI)

http://in.news./060906/139/67bd0.html

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Moderators note: If any body is interested in contacting Orissa

State AIDS Control Society, the contact details follows.

Sri.M.Panigrahi

Orissa State AIDS Control Society,

Oil Orissa Building, Nayapalli,

Bhubaneshwar-751001

(0674)2407560, 2407560, 2405105

e-mail: sacs_orissa@...