Bangalore: Battered Baby Afreen gives up fight, dead

Bangalore, Apr 11: Three-month-old baby Afreen suffered a cardiac arrest at 10.40 am and died at 11.10 am, said R Premalatha, Professor of Paediatrics, Vani Vilas hospital.

She further said that multiple convulsions could have led to the cardiac arrest.

"This is very tragic and sad. The case should be brought to a logical ending. The mother will have to be given full cooperation and protection," said Shanta Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The health of the baby deteriorated today morning as she continued to be on a ventilator. According to the doctors, the baby was in a semi-comatose state.

Baby Afreen whose story is akin to Baby Falak's, was beaten and abused by her father because he wanted a boy. Her forehead bore cigarette burns and her neck was dislocated when she was brought to the hospital by her mother.

Umar Farooq, father of the child is under police custody now.

The story on the kind of treatment meted out to Baby Afreen throws light on the issue of gender bias still largely prevalent in our male-dominated society. With a woman being subjected to physical and mental torture, an untold story in every house-hold in the country, it is time that the government wakes up to the issue of gender discrimination in the country.

OneIndia News