Shocking! 4-month-old infant branded with hot iron to cure pneumonia

Jaipur: In a shocking incident, a four-month-old baby girl was branded with a hot iron to cure severe cough and cold.

The infant from Rama Kheda village in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district was rushed to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital after her health deteriorated.

The girl was apparently branded a couple of days ago, but the matter came to light on Monday when the doctors were informed about it, police said.

A doctor said that the four-month-old was branded on her stomach and was undergoing treatment.

The child is suffering from pneumonia and congenital heart disease.

Cases of superstitious practices like branding to cure from cold and cough are common in Bhilwara.

She is undergoing treatment in the ICU ward, in-charge paediatrics at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Dr OP Agal said.

A case has been registered under various IPC sections against unidentified accused on the complaint lodged by the Child Welfare Committee and further investigation is on, SHO Karoi police station Sunil Chaudhary said.

He said that this is not the first case in Bhilwara where superstition have even snuffed out the life of innocent children.

Last March, a 10-month-old infant girl lost her life to superstitious practice when she was branded with an iron rod allegedly by her grandfather to cure her of a severe cough and cold.

(With PTI inputs)