Another incidence of a minor girl being branded with hot iron by her family members to cure her illness came to the fore in the district on Saturday.
Sources said the 10-year-old girl of Reba village under Bansapal block was branded with hot iron rod five days back after she complained of stomach pain. The girl was later admitted to hospital after her condition deteriorated. However, she is stated to be stable now, sources said.
It may be mentioned that as many as five children have been branded with hot iron in Keonjhar district alone in the last 10 days. local intellectuals have blamed poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness and lack of healthcare facilities for the frequent hot iron branding incidences.