4-month old baby dies after being branded with hot iron in Odisha

Nuapada: Superstitions and practices guided by blind beliefs once again reared their ugly head by claiming an infant’s life after the ailing child was branded with hot iron as part of a traditional cure in Boden block Odisha’s Nuapada district. The four-month old baby died during treatment at the district headquarters hospital here on Thursday.

As per reports, one Laladhar Bacha and his wife Janani of Kusamkhunta village in Boden block were blessed with a baby boy in December. But the baby started falling sick often and reportedly had swollen veins around the abdomen area, a condition locally termed as ‘Kalasira’. As villagers traditionally used to brand infants with hot iron laced with turmeric and other herbs to cure the condition, some of them suggested the same to Laladhar and Janani. The couple complied and branded the child with hot iron several times.

On Thursday morning, the child’s condition started deteriorating after which Laladhar and Janani rushed the baby to the district headquarters hospital. However, the baby succumbed during treatment.

Confirming the incident, district medical officer Sudhir Ranjan Nayak said,” On Thurdsay morning, a four-months old baby from Boden was admitted to the hospital. The child had been branded with hot iron five times in the abdomen area and vomited blood before succumbing during treatment.”

On being informed, Boden police reached the hospital and started investigation today. The body has been seized for postmortem. The exact cause of death will be established after the autopsy report arrives. A case has been registered, informed Boden IIC Kulamani Buruda.