Baby Afreen still critical, mother vows to fight

Abhirr V P CNN-IBN | 20 Jun 2013 10:35 am

Bangalore: Baby Afreen, the three-month-old baby, beaten and abused by her father continues to be critical and on life support. Her father, who is believed to have done this because he wanted a boy, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.

The baby was beaten, battered and burnt with cigarettes, but now her mother has said that she cannot take the abuse of her child anymore. Reshma Banu has approached the Bangalore Child Welfare Committee demanding that her husband Umar Farooq be punished.

"I want him to be punished. He has tortured my baby. I am first waiting for Afreen to recover and then we'll think about the divorce," said Reshma.

Reshma, who is just 19 years old herself, has alleged that Umar harassed her as well for dowry. She suspects he even tried to poison her when she was pregnant. The Child Welfare Committee says it will ask the district administration to act.

"I think it is high time India woke up to this. A baby girl cannot be treated like this," said Meena Jain, chairperson, Child Welfare Committee, Bangalore.

Doctors at the Vanivilas Hospital, where baby Afreen is admitted, say her condition is critical, but she can recover in three to four weeks.

"She is still getting convulsions, which are not under control yet. This shows that still problems are there. We are giving standard medical attention," said Dr Siddapa, dean and director, Bangalore Medical College.

Reshma, who was till now at the receiving end from her husband, has finally decided to stand up and fight for justice. With Baby Afreen in a critical condition, Reshma hopes that by getting her husband punished, she can get some justice for her child.

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