Jharkhand in panic over henna chemical reaction India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Panic spread in Jharkhand on Monday after several women complained of mehendi (henna) causing reactions on skin and various other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The incident followed certain rumours reported from Ranchi , Bokaro, Jamshedpur , Lohardagga, Hazaribagh and Dhanbad, which claimed that several people died due to a chemical reaction caused by application of henna. “On the occasion of Eid ul Fitr, people normally apply henna. But, this time whoever applied henna complained of being sick and various other reactions such as fever, vomiting and nausea,” said Naushad Akhtar , a local. Meanwhile, some people alleged that it could be a work of miscreants or people trying to sell henna with harmful chemical ingredients, during festival time to clear their stocks. “It is possible that this mehndi (henna) had harmful chemicals and was supplied to the market purposely during the festival time, so that it can be sold. It has caused various reactions like cold, itching and fever,” said Mohammed Shahid , another local.