3 children of Jharkhand shelter home die

Three "underweight" children of a Jharkhand government sponsored shelter home have died allegedly of malnutrition last week, an official said today.

Two of the infants were inmates of Khunti-based Sahyog Village, a home for children, while the third one was brought there from Nirmal Hriday in Ranchi before it was closed down following allegation of baby selling.

One child left by an unwed mother four months ago died on August 24, Sahyog Village in-charge Jasvindra Singh said.

The two other deaths occurred on August 19 at the Sadar Hospital and a private hospital in Khunti, Singh told PTI.

"All the three children were underweight and suffering from malnutrition," he said quoting doctors of the hospitals where the infants had been taken.

Seven more infants----two of Nirmal Hriday and five of Sahyog Village---were currently admitted in a hospital here and all are fit now, he said.

"But we want to keep them in the hospital for observation," Singh added.

He said 12 children, who were rescued from the Nirmal Hriday last month, had been given to Sahyog Village and one of them died.

Seven of the 11 remaining infants were returned to their parents while four are still with the Sahyog Village, Singh said.

Ranchi Child Welfare Committee had in the first week of July rescued 22 children from Nirmal Hriday after the alleged baby selling incidents came to light and handed over 12 to Sahyog Village.