2-year-old branded to cure illness in Ratlam

A two-and-a-half-year-old girl from Jhabua district was admitted to Ratlam’s government children’s hospital in serious condition after she was branded with scalding hot pieces of a clay pot.

A two-and-a-half-year-old girl from Jhabua district was admitted to Ratlam’s government children’s hospital in serious condition after she was branded with scalding hot pieces of a clay pot.

The girl was identified as Nikita, daughter of Udaisingh from Godadiya village under Bamniya police station limit in Jhabua district. She was admitted to the government hospital after her condition deteriorated.

Dr Manish Gupta, who is treating the girl, informed that her mother Rekha Bai brought her to the hospital at around 3.30 pm on Friday.

He said the exact ailment is yet to be ascertained as her condition is very poor and she was being kept in the ICU.

Also, he said, the girl bore deep injuries and had burn marks on her back and ribs.

When asked what happened to her daughter, Rekha Bai said she lived with her three children in Godadiya village and that her husband was a labourer and currently in Neemuch.

Recently, Nikita had fallen ill and her mother visited various village doctors (hakims) with the hope that they would be able to heal her daughter.

After getting no result, she decided to call a person who claimed to be an expert in branding to cure illnesses.

The practice of branding or inflicting burns all over the body as a remedy for various illnesses is still prevalent in rural parts of Madhya Pradesh, particularly in tribal districts like Jhabua, Alirajpur and Barwani districts.

After the barbaric treatment, Nikita’s condition deteriorated, following which her mother rushed her to the hospital.