Rourkela, Oct. 15: The father of a four-year-old boy, who died after being treated by a quack, has refused to file a compliant with the police.

The residents of Gopabandhupalli blocked a road following the death of the child. The boy had been suffering from fever for the past week and was under the treatment of a local quack.

Sahil Kumar, the son of Bablu Prasad, 35, died this morning. Bablu, a small businessman, had been getting Sahil treated by the quack, who calls himself a pharmacist, because he lived close by.

"I have seen many people in the locality going to him for minor ailments and getting cured," said Susma Dey, who stays in the locality.

Following the death, some friends of Bablu took to the streets demanding action against the quack because they believed he had treated the child incorrectly and did not let Bablu take Sahil anywhere else for treatment.

"Bablu was repeatedly told by his friends to take his son to the Rourkela Government Hospital when his fever did not recede even after the quack treated him," said Satinder Pal, a fruit vendor.

Agrasen Bihari, one of the protesters, said: "The police should arrest this person who killed this boy. We will keep the road blocked till he is arrested."

The mob ransacked the quack's shop.

However, the bereaved father Bablu Prasad did not want to file any complaint against the quack. He got irritated when questioned why he would not file a complaint.

"My son has died and this is my problem. Why are you so disturbed? I do not want to file any complaint because I have no grievance against anyone," he said.

"If I file a complaint, the body will have to be sent for post-mortem and I cannot bear that. Besides, a police case is another headache," he said.

The mother of the child, Rina Devi, blamed the quack for Sahil's death.

"My chid had fever for a week and this man treated him on the first day. When he did not get any better, he gave him injections on three consecutive days. Sahil had stomach ache last night and died this morning," she said.

Inspector in charge of Plant Site police station Upendra Pradhan said: "We have not received any complaint and unless we receive one, we cannot do anything."

Dr S. Tripathy, the chief medical officer of Rourkela Government Hospital, said: "We cannot go and check the validity of a private person, who claims to be a doctor, unless and until there is a specific complaint against him."

The roadblock was lifted after the police intervened and pacified the mob.