In Haryana, 4-Year-Old Girl's Private Parts Burnt With Tongs Allegedly By Relative

Sirsa, Haryana: For nearly ten days, a four-year-old girl in Haryana was lying in her house with injuries to her private parts, allegedly inflicted by an elderly member of her family, until the members of the local child welfare body came to her rescue and took her to a hospital.

The incident came to light on Thursday after the District Child Protection Committee officials in Sirsa received a tip-off that the girl's private parts were burned with tongs allegedly by her grandmother on July 9. The committee members went to check on the girl and took her to a hospital and informed the police.

The girl, who was taken to hospital with the infection has been discharged, the child welfare panel member said. 

According to the villagers the family of the girl, youngest of three sisters, wanted a boy and that is being described as the reason behind the gruesome act. "The girl's father told us that it would've been better had the child been a boy," said Gita Kathuria of Child Protection Committee.

While villagers allege that a family member tortured the child, police have registered a complaint against unknown persons. 

"As soon as we get some leads, we will arrest the culprit," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijay Kakkar.

Haryana was chosen by the central government to launch its ambitious 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme in 2015 to improve the state's abysmally low sex ratio. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said that Haryana's sex ratio has improved and stood at 950 girls to 1,000 boys in March this year.