Nedumangad 1-yr-old child's death: Tension erupts during evidence collection, cops resist mob attack on accused

The Nedumangad Police on Sunday took Ashkar, accused in the death of a 1-year-old Arshith, for evidence collection near his house in Karikuzhy. The situation turned tense when agitated residents attempted to attack the accused. Police and residents briefly clashed as officers struggled to escort him back to the jeep, temporarily halting the evidence collection process.

The police had arrested both Ashkar and the child’s mother, Akhila, on Saturday night after it was revealed that the child died due to assault. Initially, the duo, who were reportedly living together, claimed that the child, who was lying down at home after eating food, fell ill around 4.30 pm on Friday. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 6.08 pm. A case of unnatural death was registered based on this. However, the autopsy report later confirmed that the child had died due to assault.

Police stated that the mother and Ashkar were first taken into custody for questioning, and their arrests were formally recorded later that night.

Further allegations have surfaced against Ashkar. He is reportedly married once before and has not legally divorced from his first wife. According to the mother of his first wife, Ashkar pursued her while she was in school. “Just so they wouldn't elope, we arranged their marriage after she turned 18. But before a public ceremony, they married privately. Since then, she has narrated incidents of assault, with both Ashkar’s mother and sister as accomplices. He would hit my daughter’s head against the bathroom wall, causing her to lose consciousness,” she said.

Residents stated that Ashkar had been living in a rented house in Karikuzhy for the past six months with Akhila and their son, Arshith. He had previously lived in the area eight years ago with his mother and sisters while working as an auto driver and was reportedly unproblematic. Residents claimed that two weeks ago, they spotted Ashkar with his children at a medical store. “The child had two broken hands and red eyes. Ashkar played it off as an accident due to the child’s naughtiness,” a resident said.

Both the paternal and maternal grandparents of Arshith alleged that they had long suspected continuous abuse.

The child’s maternal grandmother, Reena, said that when she raised her concerns about the child’s well-being, Ashkar forced Akhila to file a police complaint against her. “I was taking care of the child for some time. He was completely healthy when Akhila picked him up. Soon after, she posted a WhatsApp status showing his broken hands. I also filed a complaint with the DySP and informed the child helpline about the injuries, but no action was taken. The police said the child had to be let go with the mother, and the helpline told me the police would follow due process,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Arshith’s biological father, Akhil, had passed away before the child was born. His father, Anil, said he had been trying to take the child under his care for the past three months, but Ashkar and Akhila had refused. “They kept telling me they would give me the child after his broken hands were healed, but they never did. At the time of Arshith’s death, he was alone with Ashkar, while Akhila had gone for a dance programme in Tamil Nadu, despite knowing Ashkar’s tendency to assault Arshith,” Anil said. He added that upon seeing Arshith’s body, he noticed cigarette burns and other marks of assault.