The three-year-old girl from Purulia, who was sexually assaulted and had needles
pushed inside her body by a pervert, lost her battle with life. At around 2.30 am on Friday, the child breathed her last at SSKM Hospital after being affected with septicemia, drawing a curtain on the week-long battle waged by the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who tried their best to cure the girl.
The girl had fallen victim to sexual assault and needles were pushed inside her body. On Tuesday, she underwent a major surgery in the hospital and seven needles were removed from her body.
Her condition was stated to be stable on Wednesday. But her condition started deteriorating on Thursday and she was put on ventilation. It was learnt that acute septicemia had affected the lungs of the three-year-old girl. She died at around 2.30 am on Friday. Her body was sent for an autopsy.
Dr Manimay Banerjee, medical superintendent of SSKM Hospital said: "The needles were removed and the surgery was successful. Since the needles were inside her body for a long time, germs had spread and finally led to septicemia that affected her lungs. Her condition started deteriorating since last night and a team comprising eight doctors was formed for her treatment."
The girl was admitted to the hospital on July 15 with seven needles in her body and a four-member medical board was constituted for her surgery.
The doctors had managed to bring out seven needles from her body and she was kept in the Critical
Care Unit of the paediatric ward after the surgery.
The police had initiated a probe under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in this connection. The prime accused Sanatan Thakur had fled soon after the incident came to light and the police are yet to arrest him.
The matter came to light when the victim's mother Mangala Goswami took the baby to Bankura Medical College and Hospital where doctors found several injury marks on her body.
Now, the police are suspecting the involvement of the victim's mother as well in the conspiracy to kill the girl by pushing needles inside her body. She has been kept under a close watch at the SSKM Hospital.
It is learnt that the woman along with her daughter had started staying in the house of Sanatan posing as a domestic help. She went to Sanatan's house after her husband Lakhikanta Goswami had left her. But they had got engaged into an affair and police suspect that they wanted to kill the girl.
The needles were pushed inside her body to ensure her "slow death" so that no one suspects them. The police are now trying to find out Sanatan.