Hot Iron branding on Infants continues in Nabarangpur

Feb 24: The horrifying incidents of branding on infants with red hot iron or other heated metals in last few weeks have been a matter of grave concern in the tribal dominated Nabarangpur district of Odisha.

A 33-day old newborn baby girl from Pujariguda village of Kosagumuda block was admitted to the district headquarters hospital on Tuesday in a critical condition following complications after branding with pieces of a heated metal bangle.

The girl child was suffering from breathlessness. In order to cure her ailment, her grandfather took the child to an indigenous healer, who allegedly branded her with a heated metal.

Earlier, an eight-month-old baby boy of the district who was branded with red hot iron on last Friday night by his father to cure him of an ailment had succumbed to his injuries at the same district headquarters hospital on Monday.

As of now, branding on ten infants has come to notice in Nabarangpur district in the last few weeks, out of which two have succumbed to their injuries.