In a suspected case of attempted female infanticide, a three-month-old is battling for life at Vani Vilas Hospital here after having been beaten up allegedly by her father.
Afreen was brought to the hospital with severe head injury as well as deep bite marks on the thigh and buttocks. She is in a coma state.
The infant's mother, Reshma Bhanu (19), has accused her husband, Umar Farook (25), of causing the injuries.
The father confessed to the police on interrogation that he tried to kill the child because he “wanted a boy and not a girl.”
Farook (25), who was arrested on Sunday evening, after the condition of his daughter hit the headlines, also confessed to having attempted to murder her on several occasions before, said the police.
Afreen continues to be in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit.
“The child is on ventilator and life support medicines. She is having convulsions and is being treated for it under sedation round-the-clock,” said Gangadhar Belvadi, Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics at Vani Vilas. Ophthalmological tests also revealed a bilateral retinal haemorrhage, he added.
The gruesome case is reminiscent of the torture and abandonment of baby Falak in Delhi recently.
The police dismissed reports that questioned the mental state of Farook.
A police official in the K.G. Halli police station, where Farook is lodged, said he was “mentally stable” and had made up his mind to kill his daughter since her birth. He had tried to suffocate her by forcing a cloth down her throat.
Ms. Bhanu said the child and herself suffered abuse at the hands of Farook. He had been assaulting the child for the past three months.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Bhanu said that the family had spent over Rs. 30,000 on the child's treatment and was fast running out of money. “I don't know what to do if more money is required. We have pawned the gold we had kept aside for my sister also,” she said. The arrest of her husband is no solace to her at the moment. “Right now, I want my child to survive.”
Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Nina P. Nayak visited the baby on Monday.
Keywords: Baby Afreen case, female infanticide, child rights
just kill the scavanger immedieately...baby girls are angels and they shower happiness in the family and whole world....
It is sad the little innocent baby has to suffer the cruelty just because she is a girl. Are these brutes who discriminate whether their children are boys or girls are not born from their mothers' wombs? India has to make some tough laws against such discrimination and at the same time people need to change their mentality towards women and girls.
The father was attempting to kill his daughter for months while the mother stood by and watched ?? All because the father wanted a boy? This is India Shining? We should rename the tagline India in Shame.
This is a sad story. What makes it sadder is that thousands of child murder happens in the womb every year and no one cares.
it is a shameful incident for the humanity.
Reshma certainly needs Scoiety's help. Could Hindu set up for a online donation so that people could donate for baby's recovery.
The first line is shocking - a 3 month old baby was 'beaten up' by her father. The father should be given the death penalty, as a deterrent.
Doesn't Karnataka have a scheme like 'Thottil Kuzhandai'which was made here in Tamilnadu by J.J. He should have just left the baby in the hospital or fire station. There are many people who would love to adopt kids. Anyway he should be punished to full extent, Attempt to Murder/ Endangerment to Kids/ Endangerment to public safety. And again can HINDU shed some light on any schemes like 'Thottil Kuzhandai'all over INDIA and give some statistics on how its running in TN right now. Just curios.
This is the reality of our India ater indepenedence of 60 years
.still we hypocrite people claims that we are much respectful towords ladies.
God change our attitude.......
Prayers for the kids recovery and strength to handle the cruel world. The Barbarian's confess is strong enough to execute him straight on. No debate on his existence.
It is so cruel to even hear better kill the bluddy hell
It is easy to give sermons from high pedestals. We need to ask what is our contribution to do get rid of the evil root cause of discrimination against the female child - DOWRY! This what Guru Nanak has to say..... From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman. That mouth which praises the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful. O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the True Lord. ||2|| Guru Nanak Dev Ji
An example has to be made, the Father has to be converted to a girl by removing his vital organs. Let's see whether he commits suicide b'cos he is a she???
We need a very strict child welfare service run by the Govt who can look after the matter from the very beginning. Strictest laws should be made to protect the girl children from such inhuman parent(s).
Hi Is there anyway to donate for the cause of this infant? .... I think all people who abhor this social evil should donate whatever they can ... words alone wont heal her wounds right .... some way must surely be possible, am sure a lot of people might spare some money specially if a convenient way is found
No wonder , the girl child is suffering ... This world has always given ways to injustice to every female born from the day they get the life till the end of their life. Its such a shameful act , where human beings behave worse than animals. Thank God for having not given this gift to the animals to harm their children for the genders. Else the theory of reproduction would have come to an end. Why is it that a father or a mother becomes sad on having a girl child when this female gender does all sorts of sacrifices for the male gender , be it a wife for a husband, a mother for the son, and so on. I urge the mothers to be strong enough to support the girl child they give birth and protect them till they bloom and stand on their own feet.
what a shameful act!!!! How can people be cruel like this?I do not understand. Was not this man born of a female? If his grandparents have decided to kill their daughter ,then he would not have been born in this world.It is really shame to hear that a 25 years old man did such a thing in this era.Government should do something against female child abuse and tortures against women in the name of dowry.He must have done this by thinking that growing up a female child is expensive and he might have to work hard for making dowry.May be this thought led him to this devilish deed.Government should bring a strong dowry act.
It would be convenient if The Hindu published the account details of this poor family(I apologize if that has been already done) such that any one who would want to help can actually help rather than shouting at the issue from the comforts of their own homes. The father is not mentally unstable. Sad to say he'll not be dealt justice quickly after being tried as a sane person.
I cant understand how can one do this to a little flower...by this time, the baby should be able to recognise the parents and smile..did he not thought about that sweet smile when he beat her up? There are numerous people affected by impotency and longing for a baby...Why that impotency does not befall on this the heartless creature like Farooq?
I'M Sad.India has been the land of female infanticide since eternity. Local culture here dictates girl child is a burden on family & they don't realize that if a girl learns, whole family learns. Funny thing is, thousands of babies are being aborted and media found this one news with a father having Muslim name. Its inhuman act to try to kill your child.Quraan specifically asks its believers to NEVER to kill children for sake of poverty, because God is the provider of sustenance. Its illiteracy turned into uneducated gruesome actions. Mullahs don't teach Quranic verdicts which especially prohibits killing of girl children, which used to be practice of Arabs before Islaam, thinking lowly of them. In fact The prophet had said, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"Whoever has a female child and he does not kill her, disrespect her, and he does not favor his son over her, then Allah will enter him into Jannah (paradise)."Its A blatant case of domestic violence and each 1 need justice.
Look upon a girl as a human being not as a boy. A healthy child can achieve anything of any sort. Girls may be weak physically but are stronger mentally. She has a right to life and security.It's our duty to safeguard it and respect their rights.
This shamefull act surely deserves a punishment good enough so that it's a lesson for others.We always talk about the growth of the country and if these things still prevail in society then i guess we should stop talking about Indian becoming a developed nation.How can such things happen in one of the finest city in India.Its way beyond my imagination.
Are we living in a age of the technology highway or the Dark Ages ?
The girl child in India continues to suffer at various stages of her life . That made disgusting reading of the father of the child . Pray for her early recovery .
Now what do you do with such a 'father'? He bites his own 3-month old daughter in weird places! Now if this isn't a 'rarest of the rare' case that deserves a 'you-know-what' sentence from our esteemed judiciary, what is!
it's too bad
Was the mother busy looking the other way for three months during the abuse? The baby is only three months old and she has been watching her gettign beaten, bitten etc., until it went to this stage?!!! Now she expects sympathy and money generation for treatment from other sources. India will never improve until women wait and watch thinking their husbands will change. Nothing will change unless you threaten any wrongdoer with immediate consequences and have the guts to follow it up, be it child abuse, animal abuse or abuse of women. Such morons should be told to pick men their own size to fight if they want to show their power.
The men should understand that even a boy has to come through a woman only.Why this obession to boys only? A girl is respected as a mother is superior to the father in our sastras.
Man is the most cruel living being in this world
What a shameful act of man putting the entire mankind under the
scanner.Even in this modern era of ipads and tabs people are still
struggling hard to free themselves from the age old conservatism belief
which is still haunting by no end and means.
This is a cruel act.
Allah (swt) says that offspring is a gift of god., and Prophet.
Muhammed saw said that, whoever brought up their female child/children
with modest conduct will rewarded with Jannah...
This merciless Father has to be punished severely and the punishment
will set an example for Female infanticide.
May God save that innocent soul who is struggling for her life....
Ameen
Is it returning the fifth century practices of Arabia?
I admire the courage of the mother - Reshma, to stand against all odds. A lot of women in our country would have made a different choice under those circumstances. The father could be educated on how wonderful a girl child can be, hope being behind bars teaches him a lesson. I hope the baby survives.
Why didn't the mother report the abuse for 3 months when he abused her continuously? Not reporting the crime is heinous than the crime itself and that this shameless mother should be jailed too. The "father" is obviously mentally unstable and should be hanged as well.
Very difficult to understand how people get the heart to do such a gruesome act, even after knowing the fact, that its them, who is responsible for the birth of child.
This is when i think if it were better to allow knowing the gender before the childs birth. "Questionable" but given the facts its thinkable. Atleast we would be spared from hearing such hideous news.
I urge people first understand that it was a female/woman who gave birth to them before thinking of such abolishing thoughts.
In this case I insist, people like these who try to harm children in any
way should be punished severely. They are not afraid of the
law! Instead of letting them stay in the prisons and enjoying life with
a bit of struggling they should be let out in public! Lets see how they
feel like when the same violence happens with them!
- A concerned citizen
One more gruesome example of discrimination against GIRL CHILD to add to the endless list.It is very surprising that why the mother of the child was mum for the last three months when it was stated by her that her husband was torturing the girl for some period.For this barbaric act the father should be awarded exemplary punishment.
My prayers goes with that little baby. May the eternal force keep that little flower safe from any further trouble.
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