In a suspected act driven by occult practices, a 35-year-old man from Chhattisgarh died after reportedly swallowing a live chick, an incident that left doctors baffled.

The victim, identified as Anand Yadav from Chhindkalo village in Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur, collapsed at home shortly after returning from a bath. Family members said he felt dizzy before fainting, prompting them to rush him to the a nearby hospital.

During the post-mortem, doctors were initially unsure of the cause of death. However, an incision near Yadav's throat revealed a live chick lodged inside, measuring around 20 cm in length.

Dr Santu Bag, who conducted the autopsy, explained that the chick had obstructed both the airway and food passage, likely causing asphyxiation. "This is the first time I have encountered such a case in my career," an indiatoday.in report quoted Dr Bag, who has performed over 15,000 post-mortems.

The unusual circumstances surrounding Yadav's death led villagers to suspect that it was linked to occult practices. According to some local residents, Yadav was in contact with a 'tantrik' (occultist) and had been struggling with infertility. Villagers believe that he may have swallowed the chick as part of a ritual to fulfill his desire to become a father.