Following the heart-rending story of Baby Falak, the nation has another shocking and shameful tale to add to it. A three-month old baby, Afreen, who was hospitalised after her father brutally tortured and attempted to kill her for being a girl, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday.
The baby suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 10.40 AM and died at 11.10 AM. The doctors said that multi-convulsions and internal bleeding could have led to the cardiac arrest.
The condition of the child worsened on Tuesday and the doctors seeked help from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).
Baby Afreen was admitted to the paediatric intensive care in the hospital on Sunday, with cigarette burns all over her body and a dislocated neck after being beaten up by her father Umar Farooq. The baby was in a critical state suffering from trauma and there was swelling and bleeding in the body.
The incident came to light when the baby's mother Reshma Banu admitted the child to Vani Vilas hospital for treatment. Dr Gangadhar Belawadi, who examined the girl, informed the Child Welfare Committee. CCW then helped the mother to lodge a police complaint against her husband Umar Farooq. Umar Farooq is now under judicial custody.
Shockingly this is not the first time Farooq targeted Afreen. KG Halli police said he had tried to kill the baby at least thrice before.
According to child's mother and Farooq's second wife, Reshma Bhanu, he was unhappy with the birth of a girl child as he wished for a boy baby. He has been harassing her since the birth of the baby girl. When she told his parents about his behaviour, they advised her to leave him for a few days to cool down. She even claimed that her in-laws were least interested to take the injured Afreen to hospital, DNA India reported.
Once Reshma questioned him, after noticing some bite marks on child's body. He just answered saying it could be some insect bites. On the other occasion, she was shocked to see the cigarette burns on Afreen's forehead.
The latest violence against the baby took place on Thursday night. Farooq was drunk when he came home in the evening. They husband and wife had a huge fight between them. Later when she went to bed, Farooq stuffed clothes into Afreen's mouth to muffle her cries. Reshma, who woke up in the middle of the night found that he had banged the baby's head on the wall when she was in the cradle. She reported that he even tried to kill the child by suffocating with a pillow.
The baby vomited blood and there was bleeding in the body. Reshma with the help of her neighbours admitted the child in the nearest private hospital. But considering the critical stage of the baby, doctors suggested to take her to Vani Vilsa Hospital, where the child was being treated.
The reports say that Farooq divorced his first wife after she expressed her desire to pursue studies. The police are trying to find out is this the only reason behind the divorce.
In March, this year India witnessed two year old innocent baby Falak's death after battling for her life for sixty days, who had been relentlessly abused by her teenaged care-giver. It is then followed by Neha Afreen. Who is next? After looking at the scenario the question arises is it a crime to be a girl child.
