Battered victim of female infanticide battles for life

BANGALORE: Doctors
at the government-run Victoria
Hospital are working
overtime to save the life
of a three-month-old baby,
which has become an unfortunate
victim ofan attempted
female infanticide in the city
two days ago.
Sources at the hospital said
the baby had suffered burns,
injuries due to biting and
was also smothered. Ever
since the baby was taken to
the hospital, it is in a state of
coma and doctors have put it
on ventilator.
‘We are concerned. The
survival of the baby is still
uncertain, ‘one of the doctors
today said. The unfortunate
incident occurred
when Ummer Farooq (25),
in a fi t of rage, burnt the
baby with cigarette butts,
smothered it and bit the
child on several parts of its
body for the only reason he
wanted a ‘male child’. Farook
has been arrested by
the police.
According to Nina P Nayak,
Chairperson of Karnataka
State Commission for
Child Rights, the serious incident
highlighted constant
domestic violence.
Farooq used to constantly
beat up his wife and mother
of the child, Reshma Banu
(19).
The couple were blessed
with a female child three
months ago, but Farooq, a
small time painter in a shop,
had before hand’ warned
‘his wife that he will not settle
for ‘anything less’ than a
male child.