Infant Branded With Hot Bangles By Faith Healer In Madhya Pradesh

A month-old boy was branded with hot bangles all over his body by a faith healer to cure him of pneumonia in Madhya Pradesh, police said today. The incident occurred earlier this month in Hardi village in Shahdol district.

The boy is now undergoing treatment at a government hospital while the police have charged his mother and grandfather, and the 'dai' Booti Bai Baiga, officials said.

Over 40 scars were found on the boy's neck, stomach and other body parts, said doctors who are treating him. He was taken to the hospital after his condition deteriorated.

He is now stable and on oxygen support at the paediatric intensive care unit.

The practice of 'daagna' prevalent among the tribals in Madhya Pradesh involves superstitious healing methods, which includes branding infants suffering from pneumonia with hot objects.

The boy's family had approached the 'dai', referred to women who work as traditional birth attendants, allegedly for the treatment of pneumonia. Booti Bai Baiga then branded the boy 40 times with the broken hot bangles, said police.

Dr Nishant Prabhakar, head of paediatrics department, said the boy is "doing fine" following his treatment. He said the boy was branded with iron rod at the time of his birth too, and the treatment was repeated when he had pneumonia.

The case against the faith healer and the boy's family members was registered under the Drug and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954, besides relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), police said.

In February, two infant girls of the Gond tribe died in Shahdol after they were branded with hot iron rod and broken bangles to treat pneumonic symptoms. A woman faith healer was also arrested in the case.