In a horrific incident, a 10-year-old girl died on Sunday after she was allegedly punished by her mother for “taking money” from her relative’s house without their permission and spending it to buy snacks. The mother, according to a complaint, branded the child with a hot spoon on her lips and thighs, besides forcing her to inhale hot water mixed with chilli powder.
The incident took place in Veppanthattai village in the Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu on January 6. The girl developed fever and her condition deteriorated after which she was admitted to a hospital in Krishnapuram from where she was shifted to the Government Hospital in Tiruchirapalli.
“The girl passed away on Sunday morning,” a police officer said, adding that they have registered a case under section 174 of CrPC (police to enquire and report on suicide, etc.) based on the complaint received from Veppanthattai Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Sathish Kumar.
In his complaint, the VAO said the girl was the eldest daughter of Raja and Manimegalai, both daily wage labourers. “On January 6, the girl is alleged to have taken Rs 70 from her uncle’s house. After the uncle complained about this to Manimegalai, she punished her daughter by branding her with a hot spoon. She also forced her to inhale hot water mixed with chilli powder,” the complaint said.
Police said their next course of action will come after the postmortem report of the girl is made available to them.
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Published 09 January 2022, 17:08 IST