Mentally unstable woman sets seven-month-old daughter on fire in Odisha

Police said, the woman wrapped the child with clothes and put kerosene before setting her ablaze at about 8:30 am.
Image of fire used for representational purpose only.
Image of fire used for representational purpose only.

BHUBANESWAR:  Defying the social belief of mother's over-possessive feeling towards her child, a woman set her seven-month-old girl child on fire, here on Thursday. While the cause of unbelievable cruelty of a mother towards her own daughter is assigned to psychological disorder of the woman, some family members raise the issue of conjugal disturbances.

The incident took place in Salia Sahi under Nayapalli police limits where Suna Pingua is living with her husband Raghunath Pingua, who works as a colouring mason. Suna is the second wife of Raghunath who has a 17-year-old daughter from first wife who died two years back.According to police, after Raghunath and the first daughter left home, Suna wrapped her daughter with clothes and poured kerosene on her before setting her ablaze at about 8.30 am.

When Raghunath returned home, he found his daughter on fire. After dousing the fire, he rushed the child to Capital Hospital in the City, but the doctors referred her to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where her condition is stated to be critical."According to the preliminary investigation, it seems the woman is mentally unstable.

The child has sustained about 70 per cent burn injuries and has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack," Nayapalli police station IIC Sangram Patnaik said."We have detained the woman in connection with the crime. However, we are yet to receive a complaint in this regard from her husband," he added. A team from Nayapalli police station left for SCB Medical College and Hospital later in the day to record the statement of Raghunath.The woman did not reveal much to the investigators, but informed that she was a native of Mayurbhanj and she had an argument with her husband in the morning.

Meanwhile, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) took suo motu cognisance of the matter and lodged a complaint against the woman at Nayapalli police station. "We have taken suo motu cognizance of the matter and have lodged a complaint with Nayapalli police against the woman," CWC member Benudhar Senapati said.During their investigation, the CWC members came to know that Raghunath had earlier married another woman and the couple had a daughter, who is over 17-years-old now. However, the woman passed away a few years back.

Raghunath married Suna about two years back and started living with her and his daughter from his first wife. "We questioned Raghunath's elder daughter and she told us that her step-mother was not mentally unstable," Senapati said.CWC has also directed Cuttack Childline to monitor the child's condition. The committee members will also write to SCB Medical College and Hospital for providing free treatment to the injured girl.According to the preliminary investigation, it seems the woman is mentally unstable. The child has sustained about 70 per cent burn injuries - Sangram Patnaik, IIC, Nayapalli We questioned Raghunath's elder daughter and she told us that her step-mother was not mentally unstable - Benudhar Senapati, CWC member

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