Gujarat: 2-month-old girl branded with hot iron rod to treat cough; quack held
Porbandar, Feb 12: A two-month-old baby girl was hospitalised after she was allegedly branded with a hot iron rod by a "self-styled doctor" to treat her for cough in Gujarat's Porbandar district, police said on Sunday.
The quack was arrested on Sunday and an FIR was registered against him and the child's mother, Deputy Superintendent of Police Surjeet Mahedu said.
The baby has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a government hospital. She is under observation and her condition is reported to be stable, he said.
"The baby suffered from cough and phlegm a week ago and her parents tried a local cure at home, but she did not get relief. Thereafter, the child's mother took her to one Devrajbhai Katara," Mahedu said.
Katara allegedly branded the baby with a hot iron rod on her chest and stomach. When she did not get relief, the parents took the child to Bhavsinhji General Hospital in Porbandar and the matter came to light, he said.
Based on a complaint by the infant's father, an FIR was registered against Katara and the baby's mother under Indian Penal Code Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by means of any instrument likely to cause death) and other provisions, the official said.
The condition of the baby, who was admitted in the ICU of the hospital in Porbandar, was stable, he said.
Dr Jai Badiyani from the general hospital told mediapersons that the baby was brought to the medical facility on February 9 with breathing complications.
"She was put on oxygen support in the ICU. During the treatment we found that she was branded on chest...This increased her complications," he said.
Earlier this month, a two-and-a-half-month-old girl died in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district after allegedly being branded with a hot iron rod more than 50 times by an exorcist, police had said.
Another case where a 3-month-old girl was branded with a hot iron rod had also came to light in Shahdol, they said.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
