Mother throws infant into fire in city

A seven-month-old girl sustained severe burn injuries after her mother allegedly threw her into fire at Salia Sahi under the Nayapalli police station here on Thursday.

Sources said the incident occurred in the morning when the woman was in the house along with her infant daughter. The woman, suspected to be mentally unstable, took a cloth soaked with kerosene and set it on fire. Later, she threw her baby on the burning cloth. Hearing the infant’s cries, neighbours rushed to the house and rescued the baby.

The infant sustained serious burn injuries and was initially rushed to the Capital Hospital here and later shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack after her condition deteriorated.

It was suspected that the incident could be fallout of a family feud and quarrel with the woman’s husband as she is his second wife.

Though police initiated an investigation into the incident, the actual reason could not be ascertained yet. The statement of the woman could not be recorded as her mental condition worsened after the incident.