Kochi: A court in Ernakulam has awarded life imprisonment to a 39-year-old man, convicted of killing his six-year-old son and burying the body in a well in 2016.

A native of Chooramudi near Vengoor in Ernakulam, Babu has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000.

Babu had brought back his son Vasudev, aka Kichu, from his maternal aunt's house on September 10, 2016. He then strangled his son to death, put the body in a sack and buried it in the well. There was none at his home during the time of the incident. His wife Rajimol, a staff with a private hospital in Aluva, was working that night. After committing the crime, he went to Pazhani, shaved his head and surrendered at the Kodanad police station.

The culprit had said that he committed the crime due to financial hardships. He had taken a loan of Rs 2 lakh for the construction of his house and incurred a debt of Rs 8,000 in connection with a chit fund.

Though the prosecution contended that the accused be awarded death sentence, additional sessions judge P J Vincent observed that the case does not fall within the ambit of the rarest of the rare crime.

Perumbavur inspector Baiju Paulose submitted the charge-sheet in the case.

P A Bindu appeared for the prosecution.