12-yr-old Kerala boy faces savage torture with chilli in eyes, toothpicks under nails; kin booked

Koduvally (Kerala): Relatives of a 12-year-old student in Kizhakkoth, within the Koduvally police station limits, subjected him to brutal torture after accusing him of stealing a watch. The child’s hands and feet were tied together, and after a severe beating, chilli paste was applied to his wounds and private parts, while chilli water was poured into his eyes. Coconut-leaf midribs were rammed beneath his toenails and a toothpick was jammed under his fingernails. Late at night, the boy made a daring escape from the locked room to reach the road, where a passer-by escorted him to the police station.

The incident took place on August 6. The torture was inflicted after alleging that the child had stolen a relative's watch. He was summoned from his home, locked in a room at the relative's residence, and assaulted.

Around 11 pm, when the bindings around his limbs loosened, the child untied himself, slid down a betel nut tree adjoining the terrace and escaped. The watch reported missing was subsequently found.

Following the matter being brought to the attention of the Kozhikode Protection Officer, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) conducted an inquiry and directed the Rural Superintendent of Police to take action.

The Koduvally Police registered a case against the child's paternal uncle, the uncle's wife and their son. The accused have been charged under various provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, alongside Sections for assault, inflicting grievous hurt with weapons and illegal confinement.