Madhya Pradesh: Three months old girl dies after Daagna in Shahdol

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In Shahdol district, a three months old girl was taken out from the grave on Friday and the post-mortem was conducted on Saturday. The police is going to register FIR against the people who are responsible for the death, said the police on Saturday. 

Daagna, the superstitious practice of branding infants and kids with iron rods to cure undiagnosed illness particularly in tribal communities, has raised its ugly head again in Shahdol district.

The shocking incident happened in Kathautiya village under Singhpur police station of Shahdol district. The infant girl, since early January 2022, was suffering from chest congestion, fever and Pneumonia-associated problems, around 20 days back.

But instead of taking her to a government health facility, the tribal family first took her to quacks for treatment. With the child’s condition not improving, the tribal family then reportedly took her to a woman who has been branding ill tribal infants-kids with iron for long in the village.   

As the girl child’s health started deteriorating, she was finally brought to the government medical college hospital in Shahdol city in the last week of January. But despite all possible efforts by doctors for three long days, the infant girl died on February 1.

Superintendent of police, Kumar Pratik told Free Press, said “the Singhpur police are awaiting the final autopsy report. Once the report is with us, appropriate action will be initiated against those who indulged in the cruel superstitious practice.”

Initial investigation has shown that she died due to pneumonia but the real reasons behind the death could be known after the post-mortem report, she said.

He added that the police is going to register FIR against the parents and the quacks, based on the autopsy report.