Girl suffers electric shock, family buries her in mud to ward off evil

Meerut: In a bizarre incident, a superstitious family buried their 12-year-old girl in mud, with only her face out for breathing, after she suffered an electric shock. The family members claimed that they did this because they believed that the evil effect of electric shock will be absorbed by the earth. When her condition worsened, a few elders of the locality took the girl to a nearby community health centre, where the doctor found that her right hand and leg suffered 90% burns.She was immediately referred to a hospital in Muzaffarnagar.
The incident took place in a locality in Kandhla region of Shamli. Twelve-year-old Muskan was playing on the roof when she came in contact with a 33K volt high tension wire passing over the house. There was a loud explosion, and when neighbours came out they found the girl lying unconscious. What happens next speaks volumes about how superstition still determines the way of life of these people. Instead of taking the girl to hospital, the family thought she would be healed through this crude and illogical treatment.
According to the girl's mother, Farida Begum, “We buried her because we thought that the evil effect in her body will be absorbed by the earth and she will be alright.”
Speaking to TOI, Naresh Sharma, a pharmacist at the CHC, said, “The girl was diagnosed with 90% burns in the right hand and leg, and she was immediately referred to a Muzaffarnagar hospital.”
Later, agitated locals surrounded the power corporation’s office and demanded the removal of low hanging electric wires from residential areas.”
Kayyum Rana, junior engineer, said, “We had sent a proposal for relocation of these power cables long back, but the approval is still pending. We will again send the application.”