Shahdol, Dec 30 (PTI) A one-and-half-month-old boy died after he was allegedly branded with a hot iron rod as part of a ritual to cure him of a respiratory ailment in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, an official said on Saturday.

The infant died while undergoing treatment at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the district hospital on Friday, civil surgeon G S Parihar said.

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The baby boy had sustained severe injuries after he was branded with a hot iron rod as a cure for his respiratory problems at Bandhwa village, he said.

He was brought to the district hospital on December 21 when his condition deteriorated, the official said, adding that the baby succumbed to pneumonia.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)