Six-month-old girl succumbs to burns after mother throws her into fire

The six-month-old baby, who was thrown into a fire by its mother in a slum in Bhubaneswar, died on Thursday night, police said.

The baby girl, who suffered 90% burns, was being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after her mother, Suna Pingua (32) threw her into a fire inside their home in Salia Sahi slum.

Suna, who is the second wife of her husband Manguli Pingua, was having a strained relationship with him and had fought with on Wednesday. Enraged, she set his clothes on fire, before throwing the child in it.

Hearing the baby’s screams, neighbours rushed in and rescued the girl even as Suna was sitting in a corner.

Police arrested Suna and booked her under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

The Khurda district Child Welfare Committee has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and lodged a complaint against the woman at the Nayapalli police station.

Preliminary investigation found that there were no one present in the house when she committed the crime.