A six-year-old boy, identified as Karthik, sustained serious burns after his father Raja accidently dropped him on a 30-foot stretch of a bed of burning coals after losing balance while performing a Hindu ritual in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Bystanders rushed to help but the parents refused their assistance, saying they had faith that god would heal the child.
Following timely intervention by local photojournalist Deepak Kumar, who persuaded the parents to seek medical attention for the boy, the child was rushed to a private hospital on Deepak's bike and later shifted to PIMS, a Times Of India report stated.
The parents, who are sweepers, were unable to afford the treatment, leading Deepak to reportedly seek assistance from local BJP MLA Manoranjan Kalia.
"I have provided them financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 and sent them to Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences," Kalia was quoted by Huffpost as telling reporter by PTI.
Kalia was also quoted as saying that the child had sustained 20 percent burns, while his father had suffered 20-25 percent burns.
According to the TOI report, Kalia spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday, who then directed the Jalandhar deputy commissioner to bear the expenses of the treatment from state accounts.
