<div>Three-month-old Neha Afreen Banu, who suffered grievous physical injuries inflicted by her father, breathed her last on Wednesday in the City’s Vanivilas Hospital. She died after suffering a cardiac arrest.<br /><br /><div>Afreen, born on January 17, 2012 was allegedly tortured by her father Omar Farooq who was disappointed at not having sired a son. <br /><br /></div><div>Since Wednesday morning, the hospital bore a grim look as if the bad tidings were foretold. Reshma Banu, Afreen’s mother, emerged from the ICU to speak to the media about the problems the family was facing in paying the hospital bills that reportedly amounted to Rs 50,000. She was interrupted while speaking to a private TV channel and was taken away by some doctors. <br /><br /></div><div>The doctors, who declared the bad news, asked Reshma if she had eaten since morning, as they wanted to put her at ease before breaking the news. Suspecting the worst, Reshma wanted to know if her baby was alright. That is when the doctors confirmed to her that Afreen had passed away.<br /><br /></div><div>According to Paediatrics Head of the Department Dr Gangadhar Belavadi, the baby sustained a cardiac arrest around 10:40 am and was declared dead at 11:10 am. <br /><br /></div><div>“Afreen was very critical and was kept on ventilator and life-support for the past six days. It is, indeed, very unfortunate that we could not save her despite our efforts in conducting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). She developed two-three convulsions just before she died. She died of cardiac arrest,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>Afreen, a victim of shaken baby syndrome (child abuse caused by intentional shaking) suffered very deep internal injuries including neck dislocation and subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), intraocular haemorrhage (bleeding in the eyeball) due to the head injury. <br /><br /></div><div>Besides suffering from respiratory attack, convulsions, melena (stool with blood discharge), Afreen also had cigarette burns and bite marks on her body. <br /><br /></div><div>As it was a medico-legal case, a post-mortem was conducted and reports will confirm the actual cause of death, Dr Belavadi said.</div><div><br /><div>Stating that Afreen’s case was the worst brutal child abuse case he had seen in his career, Belavadi said if the baby had been brought to the hospital on the day she suffered the injuries, she could have been saved. <br /><br /></div><div>“The family kept the baby at home for two days after she suffered the torture as they were actually arranging money to take Afreen to a hospital for treatment. The baby was first taken to Bowring hospital on Saturday, and later referred to Vani Vilas as she required to be put under ventilator. The same evening, Afreen was taken to NIMHANS for a scan, where it was confirmed that she had suffered haemorrhage due to a head injury,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>The doctors maintained that there was no chance of survival as the injuries were serious.<br /><br /></div><div>Treatment controversy<br /><br /></div><div>The tragedy had a controversial side, too. Although doctors at the hospital claim that free treatment was given to Afreen, the maternal grandparents say that they had to fork out Rs 50,000.<br /><br /></div><div>“It was only after Child Welfare Committee intervened that the charges were </div><div>waived. We have pawned our jewellery meant for our daughter’s wedding to pay the hospital bills,” said Abdul Karim Khan, Afreen’s grandfather. <br /><br /></div><div>Regretting the decision to have married off their daughter to Farooq, Khan said he </div><div>had was guilty of a big mistakee. Weeping for her lost granddaughter, Maqbool bi said she had four daughters and never felt that they were a burden on her. <br /><br /></div><div>Speaking to Deccan Herald, Reshma’s sister Shabana Banu said her sister had told her about Farooq’s frequent torture. <br /><br /></div><div>“When the child was born, I had told her to give away the child to me since her husband did not approve of a baby girl. But Reshma told me that she will take care of her daughter and will convince her husband and in-laws. Even when the child was in the hospital, I told her that I can take care of her child, but now the baby is no more,” said a tearful Shabana. <br /><br /></div><div>Forced marriage<br /><br /></div><div>Reshma was forced to marry Farooq, said Shabana. <br /><br /></div><div>The marriage was rushed through in the span of a week, as Farooq’s parents planned to go on Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca), Shabana added.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div>
<div>Three-month-old Neha Afreen Banu, who suffered grievous physical injuries inflicted by her father, breathed her last on Wednesday in the City’s Vanivilas Hospital. She died after suffering a cardiac arrest.<br /><br /><div>Afreen, born on January 17, 2012 was allegedly tortured by her father Omar Farooq who was disappointed at not having sired a son. <br /><br /></div><div>Since Wednesday morning, the hospital bore a grim look as if the bad tidings were foretold. Reshma Banu, Afreen’s mother, emerged from the ICU to speak to the media about the problems the family was facing in paying the hospital bills that reportedly amounted to Rs 50,000. She was interrupted while speaking to a private TV channel and was taken away by some doctors. <br /><br /></div><div>The doctors, who declared the bad news, asked Reshma if she had eaten since morning, as they wanted to put her at ease before breaking the news. Suspecting the worst, Reshma wanted to know if her baby was alright. That is when the doctors confirmed to her that Afreen had passed away.<br /><br /></div><div>According to Paediatrics Head of the Department Dr Gangadhar Belavadi, the baby sustained a cardiac arrest around 10:40 am and was declared dead at 11:10 am. <br /><br /></div><div>“Afreen was very critical and was kept on ventilator and life-support for the past six days. It is, indeed, very unfortunate that we could not save her despite our efforts in conducting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). She developed two-three convulsions just before she died. She died of cardiac arrest,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>Afreen, a victim of shaken baby syndrome (child abuse caused by intentional shaking) suffered very deep internal injuries including neck dislocation and subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), intraocular haemorrhage (bleeding in the eyeball) due to the head injury. <br /><br /></div><div>Besides suffering from respiratory attack, convulsions, melena (stool with blood discharge), Afreen also had cigarette burns and bite marks on her body. <br /><br /></div><div>As it was a medico-legal case, a post-mortem was conducted and reports will confirm the actual cause of death, Dr Belavadi said.</div><div><br /><div>Stating that Afreen’s case was the worst brutal child abuse case he had seen in his career, Belavadi said if the baby had been brought to the hospital on the day she suffered the injuries, she could have been saved. <br /><br /></div><div>“The family kept the baby at home for two days after she suffered the torture as they were actually arranging money to take Afreen to a hospital for treatment. The baby was first taken to Bowring hospital on Saturday, and later referred to Vani Vilas as she required to be put under ventilator. The same evening, Afreen was taken to NIMHANS for a scan, where it was confirmed that she had suffered haemorrhage due to a head injury,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>The doctors maintained that there was no chance of survival as the injuries were serious.<br /><br /></div><div>Treatment controversy<br /><br /></div><div>The tragedy had a controversial side, too. Although doctors at the hospital claim that free treatment was given to Afreen, the maternal grandparents say that they had to fork out Rs 50,000.<br /><br /></div><div>“It was only after Child Welfare Committee intervened that the charges were </div><div>waived. We have pawned our jewellery meant for our daughter’s wedding to pay the hospital bills,” said Abdul Karim Khan, Afreen’s grandfather. <br /><br /></div><div>Regretting the decision to have married off their daughter to Farooq, Khan said he </div><div>had was guilty of a big mistakee. Weeping for her lost granddaughter, Maqbool bi said she had four daughters and never felt that they were a burden on her. <br /><br /></div><div>Speaking to Deccan Herald, Reshma’s sister Shabana Banu said her sister had told her about Farooq’s frequent torture. <br /><br /></div><div>“When the child was born, I had told her to give away the child to me since her husband did not approve of a baby girl. But Reshma told me that she will take care of her daughter and will convince her husband and in-laws. Even when the child was in the hospital, I told her that I can take care of her child, but now the baby is no more,” said a tearful Shabana. <br /><br /></div><div>Forced marriage<br /><br /></div><div>Reshma was forced to marry Farooq, said Shabana. <br /><br /></div><div>The marriage was rushed through in the span of a week, as Farooq’s parents planned to go on Umrah (pilgrimage to Mecca), Shabana added.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div></div>
