Palakkad: A woman and and her lover have been arrested for allegedly assaulting and inflicting burns on the former's four-year-old child.
The duo placed the foot of the child on the burning stove to inflict the burn wounds, police said, adding the mother Renjitha and her partner Unnikrishnan have been arrested.
The child is under treatment at the Tribal Hospital at Kottathara. The sole of a foot has been badly burnt.
Renjitha, belonging to Osathiyoor in Agali and the mother of two children, has been living on rent with friend Unnikrishnan on Market Road in Goolikkadavu for quite some time. The younger child who was with them suffered the brutal assault.
The Agali police registered the case based on the complaint filed by the father of the child.
Renjitha told the police that the child was subjected to brutal punishment as it did not heed repeated warnings not to venture into the road to play. The child's interest in playing rather than going to the child-care centre (anganwadi) also prompted them to punish him.
The child's relatives stated that the child was inflicted burn injuries deliberately. The child also told the police that Unnikrishnan often thrashed him.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Agali, is leading the investigation.
