A 47-year-old woman died allegedly after being exposed to high-decibel music played during a wedding procession at Barampura under Patnagarh police limits in Balangir district on Saturday. The deceased, Lochana Bahuk, a resident of Brahmapura village, suffered from a heart ailment, her family members said.
Protest and Demands
Following her death, angry family members and villagers staged a road blockade on the busy Patnagarh-Kantabanji road with the body on Saturday, demanding compensation for the bereaved family and the immediate arrest of the DJ operator and driver. They also demanded a complete ban on DJ sound systems in the area.
Administration Response
After receiving information, Patnagarh police and local administration officials rushed to the spot and held discussions with the protesters. The administration provided immediate financial assistance of Rs 10,000 from the Red Cross Fund and assured the villagers that strict action would be taken. A case has been registered against the DJ music system owner.
“We are investigating the incident to ascertain the actual cause of death. We have instructed all sound system owners to play music within the permissible 64-decibel limit. An unnatural death case has been registered,” said Sadananda Pujhari, subdivisional police officer, Patnagarh.
Incident Details
According to sources, on Friday, when the wedding procession, accompanied by a DJ sound system, passed through Shabpara locality in Patnagarh, the extremely high volume reportedly caused severe discomfort to Lochana, who was collecting water from a borewell at the time. Family members claimed that Lochana repeatedly requested the DJ operators to reduce the volume, citing her medical condition, but the pleas went unheeded. Shortly afterwards, Lochana collapsed and lost consciousness near the borewell.
She was initially taken to Patnagarh Subdivisional Hospital and later referred to the District Headquarters Hospital in Balangir; however, doctors could not save her.
