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Kerala: 54-day-old assaulted infant still in critical condition

Last Updated 17 August 2021, 07:06 IST

In a case of suspected female infanticide, a 54-day old girl child is battling for her life at Ernakulam district in Kerala after suffering serious head injuries inflicted allegedly by her father.

Grudge against the girl child and suspicion over paternity were the alleged reasons provocating the heinous crime, local police said.

The incident took place at Angamaly, about 35 kilometres from Kochi, on June 18 morning. Police arrested the child's father Shaiju Thomas, 40, based on the statement of the mother, who is a native of Nepal. Attempt to murder and sections of Juvenile Justice Act were invoked against him and he was remanded to judicial custody, the Angamaly police station house officer said.

The child was admitted to a private hospital in the district on Thursday morning with head injuries. She had internal bleeding and is under treatment at the intensive care unit.

Conflicting statements by the father made the hospital authorities suspicious and they informed the police. He initially said the child fell from the bed. Later, he said the child fell accidentally when he tried to kill a mosquito.

Police sources said that the child's mother informed the police that the father brutally attacked the child by slapping her and throwing her on the bed owing to suspicion over paternity. He was also unhappy that she was a girl child. Based on the mother's account, the police arrested him. He was also suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.

Thomas, who hails from Kannur district, married the woman from Nepal after befriending her over the internet. He was working at a tourist home near Angamaly till the lockdown was announced.

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(Published 21 June 2020, 07:20 IST)

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