7-yr old suffers brutal assault from mother’s ‘friend’

A seven-year-old boy is battling for life with serious head injuries at Idukki district in Kerala after he was roughed up by a youth, said to be having an illegal relationship with his mother. The victim’s younger brother, aged four, also suffered injuries.

The incident took place at Thodupuzha in Idukki district in central Kerala. The seven-year-old boy was hospitalised by his mother and the youth on Thursday with head injuries and was later shifted to a private hospital as his condition was critical. The boy’s skull reportedly developed cracks, leading to internal bleeding. He underwent surgery on Thursday night and is still on ventilator support.

The brutal torture that children suffered came to light after the doctors who examined the elder child became suspicious over the nature of injuries. The mother and the youth told the doctor that the boy fell from the bed and injured the head. However, the doctors noticed injuries all over the body and the skull developed crack. Hence the doctor alerted the police and childline authorities.

The child line workers went to their rented house and found the younger brother in an injured condition. He unfolded the torture he and his brother suffered from their mother’s friend over the last few months. The younger child urinated on the sofa set during the night and this was the provocation for the latest brutality. The youth allegedly beat both the child using a wooden stick and punched the elder one’s his head towards a wall. Blood stains were also spotted on the wall of the house.

The youth, identified as Arun Anand, a native of Thiruvananthapuram was taken into custody by the police by Thursday night. He was a close relative of the kids’ father who passed away about two years back. Since then the woman and the two children were staying with Arun Anand.

Police sources said that Arun Anand was having a criminal track records, including a murder case and a few assault and extortion cases at various police stations in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the Idukki district administration to ensure expert treatment to the child. The state government also decided to meet the treatment expenses of the child.