2-year-old sustains 70% burns after being pushed towards cooking pot

Kolkata: A two-year-old child sustained serious burn injuries after she was allegedly pushed towards a rice cooking pot during a scuffle between the owner and the tenant of a house at Ultadanga on Monday evening.

The child is presently admitted to the Woodburn ward of SSKM hospital. The family of the victim has lodged a complaint with Ultadanga police station on Monday night.

According to sources, one Rajkumari Sau, along with her family members lives on rent on Gorachand Saha Lane at Ultadanga.

The owner of the house alleged that the family has always been irregular in paying rent and whenever he had asked for it, the latter behaved in a rude manner.

Locals became accustomed to regular quarrels over rent between them.

On the fateful evening, when the owner of the house went to ask for the rent, a heated argument ensued.

During the argument, the two-year-old child of the owner was sitting on the boundary wall of the house, while rice was being cooked in a pot by the side of the boundary wall, situated straight below where the child was sitting.

Suddenly, in a fit of rage, amidst the heated exchange, Rajkumari allegedly pushed the child and she fell near the cooking pot, spilling its contents on to her.

Hearing the sound of the child's cry, locals rushed to the spot and took the girl with serious burn injuries to hospital. However, she was immediately referred to SSKM hospital by the

attending

doctors.

According to the hospital sources, the child, who is presently being treated at the Woodburn ward, has suffered nearly 70 percent burns that includes her head, face and chest.

Rajkumari has, however, claimed that she had not pushed the child and the latter had accidentally fallen down from the

boundary wall.

Police have started the probe and are questioning the locals for further leads.