Kilimanoor: The incident where a father bashed up his boy for not scoring A+ in all subjects had grabbed the spotlight recently. Reports had surfaced that the father hit him with a shovel handle for not scoring A+ in four subjects of the class 10 SSLC examination. This is what the father and son told Manorama.
Father’s version: I did not try to kill my son as many allege. We are like friends. I buy him everything he asks for. I haven’t denied any of his wishes. I even bought a scooty thinking he would score A+ in all subjects. So I was obviously disappointed when he fell short. I hit him with a stick which was lying around. I don’t thrash him frequently. Some claim I suffocated him. I'd never do such things.
When I hit him, he left the house in rage. I stayed behind. Someone took a video of the episode. It appears like I might have tried to kill him in the video. My wife was away at work at the time. Someone called her and alerted her about the incident. By the time she rushed home, people in huge numbers had gathered around. They forced her to file a police complaint. She did not realise the gravity of the procedure then. She thought the police will just warn me. But she did not realise that charges including attempt to murder was added in it. Some of my political rivals were behind this.
Police came and arrested me within a half hour. My wife and son soon realised that the case had gone out of their control. She fainted when she realised serious charges have been framed against me. They were the ones who bailed me out of the police station.
Son’s version: My father is telling the truth. He has not hurt me unnecessarily ever. His grief prompted him to act in rage. I grabbed the stick when he tried to hit me. The bruise on my neck was formed when I forcefully took the stick from him. A few local men forced me to take my shirt off to take pictures. I play football. The mark on the chest was a bruise from an earlier game. Father has not kicked me.
I went to my aunt’s place after the incident. When Mother called and told me about the police complaint, I said it should not have been given. I would not have allowed it had I been home. Neither I nor Mother has any complaint against him.
Investigator Thajuddin’s account: The father is a mason and a good man. He is teetotaler. We registered a case only because a complaint was registered with us. We have several instances of children being harmed these days. Had we not registered a case, it would have had other repercussions. The family lives in harmony. The neighbours complicated the issue. No further measures will be taken since they do not have a complaint.
After the announcement of the SSLC examination on May 6, reports had surfaced that a father from Kilimanoor had attacked his teen son with a shovel handle for not scoring A+ in all subjects of the SSLC examination. The father allegedly suffocated the child by pressing a shovel handle on the child's throat. Neighbours who rushed to help notified the police and the child welfare panel.
The police had registered a case and arrested the man based on a complaint filed by the mother. The incident happened when she was not at home. On realising the gravity of the complaint and the charges made, the mother and son, later took the initiative to appoint a lawyer and get the man out on bail.
