Conjoined twins Shivram and Shivnath Sahu breathe their last in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Conjoined twins Shivram Sahu and his brother Shivnath breathed their last at Balodabazar district, about 80 km from Raipur, in Chhattisgarh on Monday.

Resident of Khainda gram panchayat, Shivram and his twin brother Shivnath, were to turn 20 years in December. They were extraordinary twins who lived life bravely despite the medical condition. They were born joined at the waist, had two legs and four arms but shared the same stomach and a pair of kidneys. 

Their father Raj Kumar Sahu, a small farmer quoting the doctors who had examined the twins earlier, said that they had independent hearts, lungs and brains.

Shivram and Shivnath were suffering from fever and cold for the past few days. However, instead of getting them examined by doctor, the father got medicines from a local chemist.

"Their health further deteriorated after they consumed cold food. I arranged medicines but there was no sign of improvement. And they died", the father said.

There were rumours doing rounds that the twins being were poisoned or had consumed illicit liquor, as the actual causes of their death remains unclear.

The local Lavan police station in-charge B K Som and his team reached the Khainda village and conducted a preliminary probe inquiring the parents of the twins and the neighbours.

"The departed twins were very popular in the region. We extensively examined from the villagers and found the death to be normal. We didn’t find any incriminating evidence suggesting foul play nor any superficial symptoms over the body. Their parents too admitted that the health conditions of the twins deteriorated and they succumbed to illness", Som told The New Indian Express.

Their parents, looking at the photos of their conjoined twins with sorrowful eyes, said, "Destiny is in God's control. Despite facing challenging disabilities, Shivnath and Shivram nurtured positive outlook towards life. They were rarely seen depressed watching others walking or running. Both happily moved along with the collaborating efforts on their especially made tricycle".

According to top medical journals, one pair of conjoined twins occur in two lakh births.