Rajasthan: Couple abandons girl child under heap of stones
What's the story
In a horrific case, a Rajasthan couple abandoned their six-day-old daughter in a deserted place and placed a heap of stones on top of the baby. She didn't survive. Veeram Lal (40) and Soram Bai (35) already have six kids: five sons and a daughter. Ironically, the incident came to light yesterday, the International Day of Girl Child. Veeram and Soram have been arrested.
Details
What happened?
Veeram and Soram, daily-wage laborers, hail from Thobariya village in Bakani (Jhalawar). They were expecting a son. But on October 5, she gave birth to a girl. Soram was discharged after six days. The couple didn't even take the child home and headed straight for a secluded place near the FCI warehouse on Jhalarapatan road to abandon her.
Stats
Rajasthan's dismal sex ratio is a cause of concern
They were caught red-handed when a local saw them and raised an alarm. Rajasthan has an abysmal child sex ratio. In the 2011 census, districts like Sikar and Jhunjhunu had as few as 850 girl children per 1,000 boys. In 18 districts, it was less than 900. In many parts, men have to buy brides from other states due to lack of women.