'50 injuries on body': Mother, stepfather arrested after toddler's death in Kerala

KOCHI: Nedumangad police on Saturday arrested the mother and stepfather of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy, who died under suspicious circumstances.

Preliminary postmortem findings reportedly indicated that the child, who died on Friday, had been subjected to repeated physical assault.

Police said Akhila and her husband Ashkar (34), both Nedumangad natives, will be questioned under Nedumangad DSP’s leadership.

Initial findings of the postmortem examination suggest that the child’s death was not accidental and injuries caused by continuous beating may have led to the fatality, said police sources. The body was later handed over to the child’s father Akhil’s family at Palode.

The incident came to light after the child was admitted to the hospital after he reportedly collapsed while having food at home.

Keralam minister Bindhu Krishna says, "A 1.5-year-old toddler died on 29th May and it was found that it was a heartbreaking incident. A mother and a stepfather brutally manhandled the child. Around 50 injuries were found on the child's body... It is a crime against the state and the policy of the state government is zero tolerance against child abuse. We will study how we can protect the children from the abuses."
(With Agency Inputs)