Rayagada: Human cruelty and intolerance knows no bounds. In a shocking and heartbreaking incident, a woman allegedly branded her four-year-old step son with a hot iron rod. His crime? He had pooped in his pants.
The matter would not have been reported had the photograph of the child branded with a hot iron rod not gone viral a few days ago.
As soon as they came to know of the incident, the Child Protection unit of Rayagada launched an investigation and lodged an FIR with the Gunupur police against the child’s parents.
Apparently, this was not the first time that the woman had tortured the child. She had been ill-treating him ever since she got married to his father, Sanjib Suna, a soldier in the second India Reserve Battalion (IRB). (Suna had got divorced from his first wife but had the custody of the child). Despite knowing the child’s plight, none of the neighbours dared to say anything because of Suna’s status. However, on January 24, the matter went out of hand.
A vigilant villager, who heart the child crying in pain, took his pictures and posted them on social media.
Soon after the incident, both Suna and his wife went absconding, taking the child with them. Police have started a manhunt for them.