Toddler tortured for a month; mother and stepfather confess to brutal murder in Nedumangad

Nedumangad: A police report has revealed that one-and-a-half-year-old Arshit lost his life in Panavoor following extreme and continuous torture by his stepfather and mother. According to the report, the stepfather, Ashkar, and the mother, Akhila, had been systematically abusing the child for the past month. The horrifying details of the cruelty came to light during police interrogation after the duo was taken into custody.

The toddler passed away last Friday at his residence, Arshitham Veedu at Panavoor. During questioning, Ashkar confessed to the police that he killed the child because he viewed Akhila's son from her previous marriage as a financial liability. The couple reportedly assaulted the infant more than 40 times over the course of a month.

The child was frequently starved and denied proper medical treatment for the injuries sustained during the beatings. The post-mortem report revealed 51 wounds on the toddler's body alongside seven fractured ribs.

Around two weeks ago, Ashkar broke both of Arshit's arms. When the child cried incessantly, he was taken to a private hospital eight days later to get a plaster cast. Although visible injury marks were present on the toddler's body at the time, the doctors failed to report the suspicious nature of the injuries to the police. Ashkar also admitted to inflicting burn injuries on the child's genitals.

During the initial phase of questioning, Akhila attempted to evade responsibility, claiming she was unaware of the abuse as she had been in Tamil Nadu for a dance programme. However, when the police questioned the suspects separately, she confessed to her involvement in the murder. The killing reportedly took place shortly after an agreement had been reached to hand over the child to the family of Akhila’s first husband, Akhil.

Demands are now intensifying for an investigation into the role of Ashkar’s relatives, as his mother and sister lived with the couple in the rented house. Nedumangad DySP Baiju Kumar is leading the investigation.