Davangere: Television can be a boon as well as a bane for little kids. In an incident reported from Davangere, a seven-year-old girl lost her life after she was fascinated by a particular episode of a soap opera that she used to watch.
The girl who set herself ablaze after watching the serial succumbed to injuries on November 12, merely a day after she burnt herself. However, the parents of the girl opted to speak about the incident on Wednesday to request parents to be alert so that such instances do not occur anywhere else.
Prarthana, a students of second standard and resident of Ashraya Colony at Hariharapatna was a a fan of Nandini serial telecast on a private channel. On November 11, she watched the repeat telecast of the serial where she witnessed that lead actor of the serial burn papers. Prarthana is said to have imitated the same episode, eventually burning herself.
Prarthana’s younger sister and brother, who saw her crying for help, alerted the neighbours. She was later rushed to the hospital in a critical state. Though she was sent to district hospital for advanced treatment, she died on Nov 12.