Man bursts cracker in 3-years-old mouth in UP

A three-year-old girl was left seriously injured and was battling for her life after a man allegedly put a 'sutli bomb' (a bomb, which is wrapped by jute twine and very popular during Diwali) in her mouth and lighted it.

The bomb exploded inside her mouth as a result of which the little girl was left critically injured. The doctors said that she had to be given 50 stitches.

The shocking incident occurred at Milak village in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, about 450 kilometres from here, on Tuesday.

According to police sources the girl was playing outside her home in the village, when a youth, identified as Harpal, who hailed from the same village, caught hold of her and forcibly put the 'sutli bomb' in her mouth and lighted it.

She was admitted to a private hospital, where her condition was stated to be critical, sources said. The girl had extensive facial injuries, the doctors said adding that infection had reached her throat.

A case was registered against the alleged culprit and a hunt was launched to nab him. Harpla had been absconding after the incident.

Sources said that Harpal had told his friends that he only wanted to play a joke on the little girl and had not imagined that it could prove so dangerous for her.

''We are trying to ascertain if it indeed was a joke or there was a well planned conspiracy to murder the girl,'' said a senior police official in Meerut on Wednesday.