Public Fury Against Accused Step-Father During Evidence Collection in Nedumangad Toddler Death Case

Thiruvananthapuram: Public fury erupted in Thiruvananthapuram's Nedumangad on Sunday as police brought accused Ashkar to the family's rented home in Panavoor Karikkuzhi Nellikunnu for scene reconstruction in connection with the death of 18-month-old Arshad. Residents gathered in large numbers and attacked Ashkar, and police struggled to bring him to the site through the hostile crowd.

Arshad died of internal bleeding caused by sustained physical abuse by his stepfather Ashkar. Both Ashkar and the child's mother Akhila have been arrested by Nedumangad police.

On Friday afternoon, Ashkar brought the child to SAT Hospital claiming food had got stuck in his throat. The baby died shortly after admission. Medical examination revealed severe trauma to the back of the head, and burn marks across the feet, hands, and back. Doctors' findings made the cause of death unmistakable.

Neighbours who had heard the child vomiting were the ones who pressed Ashkar to take him to hospital. Relatives of the child's biological father, who rushed to the hospital on hearing the news, suspected foul play and approached the police. During questioning by Nedumangad police, Ashkar confessed to the killing.

He admitted to throwing the child from a height and breaking both arms, burning his body with a lighter, and repeatedly beating him with a stick. Ashkar had been telling relatives that the child's wounds and bruises were from accidental falls and playing near fire.

Akhila, a dancer from Venkitakkal, lost her first husband — a native of Palode — to suicide about a year ago, after which she began living with Ashkar. She had been in Tamil Nadu for weeks for work, leaving the child alone with Ashkar. Residents say Ashkar routinely abused the child and that Akhila was aware of it. Relatives of the biological father have stated in their police testimony that all the abuse took place with Akhila's knowledge. Legal steps had also been initiated by both families to secure custody of the child.

Following the postmortem, the child's remains were received by the paternal relatives and buried at their home in Palode Pachayil.