Condition of baby Afreen continues to be critical

The condition of three-month old Afreen,allegedly battered by her father for being born a girl, continues to be critical and still on life support,hospital sources said.

The baby is on ventilator support and life support medication and had two convulsions today, Dr Premalatha, the doctor attending on the child told PTI. Dr Gangadhar Belawadi, Medical Superintendent of Vani Vilas Hospital, where the child has been admitted, said there has been no bleeding from the rectum today unlike yesterday for which she was given blood transfusion. "We are monitoring her condition round the clock to ensure convulsions do not recur."

He said it was very difficult to give a clear picture of the baby's condition till she is taken off the ventilator and life support medication. The child has severe head injury and deep bite marks on her thighs and buttocks.

Omar Farooq (25), her father has confessed to having tried to kill his daughter as he did not want a girl baby and also to having tried to murder her on other occasions, police said. A local court extended to April 21 judicial custody of Farooq, who was arrested on April 8 on a complaint by his wife Reshma.

Meanwhile, Reshma in a statement before the Child Welfare Committee today said she had come forward to give the complaint so that women like her need not have any fear before doing so in case they face a crisis.

"My main anxiety and prayer is my child should become all right as early as possible", she said .
To a question if she would return to her husband,  she told reporters she would think twice before doing so.

Reshma said Farooq who had been harassing for dowry had administered poison to her in a beverage as a result of which she had an abortion. She was carrying twins then. Afreen was born later.

Expressing gratitude to those coming forward to help her, she said "I want my husband to be taught a lesson".

Meena Jain, Chairperson of CWC said the Committee had decided to hand over Reshma and Afreen (once she is  all right) to NGO "Aasra" so that "they are taken care of well". Terming Farooq's arrest as a "lesson for culprits like him", Jain said search had also been launched for the first wife of Farooq who allegedly left him "so that we can build a strong case against Farooq". "We want to ensure that Reshma gets justice", she said.