A couple in Kerala has been arrested after a post-mortem revealed a toddler died from alleged physical abuse, sparking a police investigation and surfacing prior abuse allegations against the male partner.
Key Points
- A couple in Kerala has been arrested following the death of a toddler due to suspected physical abuse.
- The post-mortem examination revealed multiple injuries on the child's body, leading to the arrest of the mother and her partner.
- The child's grandparents raised concerns about the injuries, prompting a police investigation.
- The male accused is facing fresh allegations of domestic abuse from his former mother-in-law, who claims he subjected his first wife to severe physical violence.
A woman and her live-in partner have been arrested in connection with the death of her one-and-a-half-year-old son from her first marriage here, police said on Sunday, even as fresh allegations of abuse surfaced against the male accused.
An officer at the Nedumangad police station said Akhila and her partner, Ashkar, were arrested for allegedly subjecting the toddler, Arshid, to severe physical abuse that led to his death on May 29.
Police initially registered a case of unnatural death on Saturday and later arrested the duo after a post-mortem examination revealed multiple injuries on the child's body.
In his statement to police, Ashkar claimed the child suddenly started coughing and vomiting after having food and water before being put to sleep on the evening of May 29.
He said the toddler became unconscious, following which he was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and later shifted to SAT Hospital here, where doctors declared him dead.
Investigation Uncovers Repeated Abuse
Police said the child's body bore several fresh as well as healed injuries, indicating repeated abuse over a period of time.
The investigation was launched after the child's grandparents raised suspicions about the role of the mother and her live-in partner in the injuries sustained by the toddler.
The child's maternal grandmother alleged that the boy had no injuries when he was taken from her home by her daughter and claimed that injuries were repeatedly noticed on his body thereafter.
She further alleged that the toddler had earlier suffered fractures to both arms, which were explained away as the result of a fall.
Doubting the claim, she had lodged a complaint with the police.
Accusations Of Prior Domestic Abuse Surface
The child's maternal and paternal grandfathers alleged that there were circular burn marks across the toddler's body, suggesting he may have been subjected to torture.
Fresh allegations have surfaced against Ashkar from the family of his first wife.
Ashkar's former mother-in-law alleged before the media on Sunday that he had subjected his first wife, Amina, to prolonged physical abuse.
She claimed he repeatedly assaulted Amina, banged her head against walls, and, at one point, allegedly attempted to hang her from a ceiling fan.
The former mother-in-law further alleged that the assault left Amina bedridden and unconscious for nearly a year.
She said Amina had only recently begun regaining her memory and was currently undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital.
Accused Faces Public Anger
The family also alleged that Ashkar remains legally married to Amina and that no formal divorce proceedings have been completed.
Tense scenes unfolded in the area when police attempted to take Ashkar to his residence at Karikuzhy for evidence collection as part of the investigation into the child's death.
A group of residents allegedly attempted to attack the accused, prompting police intervention to control the crowd.
