In a shocking case from Kerala’s Nedumangad Panavoor area, about 20 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, a one-and-a-half-year-old boy named Arshid was subjected to prolonged abuse before being beaten to death by his mother’s live-in partner.
The child was rushed to a private hospital in Panavoor on the evening of May 29 and later transferred to Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) Hospital, where he was declared dead. The accused, identified as Ashkar, initially claimed to hospital staff that the toddler had choked on food and lost consciousness. However, relatives raised doubts, prompting police intervention.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Arshid died from internal bleeding caused by repeated beatings. Investigators documented a total of 51 wounds across the child’s body, including a severe injury to the genitals and multiple cigarette burn marks on his legs.
Nedumangad police arrested both the child’s mother, 21-year-old Akhila, and Ashkar on the night of May 30. The pair was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
ALSO READ : Who Is VD Satheesan? The New Kerala Chief Minister Who Staked His Career on This Election
During a crime scene reconstruction on Monday, Ashkar confessed to police that he had planned to kill the child three months earlier and had been physically abusing him for the past month. He viewed the toddler as an obstacle to his relationship with Akhila. The accused admitted to routinely beating the child and using cloth to silence his cries. He also acknowledged disposing of evidence by throwing items into a canal and burning remnants.
Police recovered a stick used for beatings and a lighter employed for burns at the scene. On the day of the murder, when Arshid cried loudly, Ashkar struck him on the head. After confirming the child’s death, he cleaned the house, destroyed evidence, and then took the body to the hospital.
About a month prior, Arshid had suffered broken arms, which Ashkar attributed to a fall from a bicycle when questioned by neighbours. Akhila had shared a photo of the injured child on her WhatsApp status. On May 16, the mother and child met a content creator at a bus stand, where the toddler was seen with both arms in plaster casts. The mother repeated the same explanation to the influencer.
Akhila reportedly told police she had witnessed Ashkar assaulting her son multiple times with hands and sticks but did not intervene to protect him.
The investigation has also uncovered Ashkar’s prior history of domestic violence against his first wife, Amina, including severe physical assaults that left her unconscious for extended periods. Police are examining related past incidents involving Amina’s family.