Thiruvananthapuram: The Nedumangad police on Saturday arrested a man and his wife in connection with the death of their one-year-old son, Arshith. The accused are Satheesh, the child's stepfather, and Akhila, the mother, both residents of Konganamcode.

The duo had initially claimed that the child, who was lying down, fell ill around 4.30 pm on Friday. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 6.08 pm. Based on this, a case of unnatural death was registered.

However, the autopsy report revealed that the child died due to assault. Police said the mother and stepfather were initially taken into custody for questioning. “The arrests were formally recorded at night. More sections will be added,” police said.

The child’s grandmother alleged that she had long suspected continuous abuse. She said that when she questioned it, Satheesh forced Akhila to file a police complaint against her.

“The boy’s biological father had died before his birth. The child was under our care for some time, during which my daughter did not enquire about him. He was completely healthy when he was taken from my house. Later, she posted a WhatsApp status showing my grandson with both his hands broken. Our suspicions grew, and I filed a complaint with the police,” she said.

The grandmother further alleged that the stepfather and Akhila had earlier spoken about putting the child up for adoption, after which the family offered to take care of him. Meanwhile, the father of Akhila’s first husband also alleged that the child had burn marks and visible signs of assault.