A 16-year-old boy from Murshidabad district in West Bengal has been at the centre of an unusual medical mystery for months, his body reportedly starts burning the moment he steps out of water, a problem that pushed him to spend entire days, sometimes several days at a stretch, submerged in a pond.
Why he began living in the pond
Iqbal Sheikh, who lives in the Beldanga area, started spending far more time in nearby ponds than at home. He said that as soon as he came out of the water, an intense burning sensation would spread across his body, so staying submerged felt like the only way to avoid the pain. Locals in the area began calling him "Jalmanav", meaning water-man, because of this habit.
Crowds gathered after the video went viral
Once a video of his condition spread on social media, large numbers of people started turning up at the pond just to see him, and some even brought him food and water. But the constant time spent in water was clearly taking a toll on his body, the skin on his hands, feet and several other parts had begun changing, and he had also started suffering from recurring cold and flu-like symptoms.
Talk of a "jinn" and the medical angle
Iqbal himself sometimes linked his condition to an invisible force or a "jinn", which fuelled all kinds of rumours locally. However, rather than treating it purely as a matter of superstition, doctors and experts stressed the need for a proper medical evaluation. Reports pointed to the possibility of a rare skin condition called Aquagenic Pruritus, in which contact with water, or coming out of it, can trigger intense itching, burning or discomfort on the skin.
Treatment now underway in Mumbai amid financial strain
Because his family's financial situation was weak, arranging proper treatment for Iqbal was not easy, and efforts to treat him had so far stayed limited to the local level. Now that his story has reached a wider audience, he has started receiving treatment at a hospital in Mumbai. The biggest question at this point remains why his body reacts with such severe discomfort the moment he steps out of water, and whether treatment will eventually let him return to a normal life.
