A two-year-old girl from Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district died on Saturday after she was branded with a hot iron rod as part of a superstitious ritual to cure her of an illness. The practice of singeing, known as ‘raakha’ or ‘daagna’, is rampant in many villages of Bhilwara and neighbouring districts. “It is still a popular practice here in Bhilwara district due to lack of awareness among the villagers,” he said. “On further inquiry we found out that the girl was singed with hot iron rods possibly by some local healers,” said Dr Agal. Police said the family members maintained that they themselves had “branded” the girl, ostensibly to shield the real culprits.

Source: Hindustan Times January 15, 2017 15:22 UTC