Kochi: A 30-year-old woman from Kattithara, Maradu, has been arrested for allegedly inflicting burn injuries on her four-year-old daughter using a hot spatula. Maradu police said the woman confessed to harming the child as “punishment” for what she described as disobedience.

According to cops, the accused admitted she was upset that the child had interacted with her paternal grandparents despite being instructed not to. The police said strained relationships within the family had contributed to the hostility. 

“The mother's statement claims she punished the child for being disobedient and sitting with her grandparents, despite being told not to. The child had been burned with a hot spatula on her hands and private parts. Her condition is stable and she has been provided with the necessary medical assistance,” police sources said.

The incident happened on November 15 but came to light on Monday after the child appeared distressed in school. Padmapriya Vinod, the local ward councillor, said the girl opened up when her teachers asked her why she was upset.

“She said she was not given food and her mother only gave food to her brother. The teachers also noticed the burn marks on the child’s body, inquired about the matter, and subsequently informed the police,” Vinod said.

Initial inquiries suggest the child may have been subjected to abuse earlier as well. Neighbours said tensions had been simmering within the household, where the child’s paternal grandparents, their two sons, and their families live under the same roof.

“Although the paternal grandparents, their two sons, and their families live in the same house, they were not on good terms. They prepare food separately in three different units. The child's grandmother works as an Anganwadi assistant and the grandfather is a lottery vendor,” sources in the neighbourhood said.

The mother has been booked under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act for cruelty to a child. She will be produced before the Ernakulam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court.