A 25-day-old tribal child died in Odisha’s Keonjhar district after she was branded with a hot iron to cure a wound around her navel, a superstitious practice rampant in rural areas of the state. Five days ago, an 18-day-old girl from the same district died under similar circumstances after her parents branded several places on her stomach to cure her bloated belly. In December 2016 an eight-month-old girl in Kandhamal district died after a witchdoctor branded her on stomach with a hot iron rod to cure her loose motion. In March last year, a 65-year-old woman in steel city of Rourkela was arrested for allegedly branding a month-old boy with hot iron bangles. The same month, a 4-year-old boy of Malkangiri district died after his grandfather branded him with hot iron to cure him of his fever and stomach cramps.

Source: Hindustan Times August 06, 2017 16:07 UTC