Hyderabad man sets 10-year-old son on fire for delay over getting beedis
HYDERABAD: In a shocking incident, a drunk man set his 10-year-old son on fire at KPHB of Cyberabad commissionerate late on Sunday night. He was angry with the boy for a delay in getting beedis from a shop and also with the fact that the boy was not studying properly.
S Laxmi Narayana, inspector, KPHB police station, said an attempt-to-murder case had been registered against the boy’s father Balu.
The boy, Ramavath Charan, suffered more than 90 per cent burns and is said to be in a critical condition. The boy’s statement has been recorded by the Magistrate.
It was also found that in 2019, Ramavath was put to work at a bike repairing centre and was rescued by the Operation Smile Team. His parents were counselled and a case was registered on the employer at the time.
The police said on Sunday night, when Ramavath was watching television with his mother at their home, Balu sent him to a nearby shop to get beedis for him.
As soon as he returned home and handed over the beedis to Balu, the latter abused him and started beating him up, rebuking him for not studying well and not attending tuitions regularly.
Balu forced the boy out of the home and continued beating him. Even as Ramavath’s mother tried to rescue him, Balu pushed her away and continued to beat his son. Balu then picked up a can of turpentine oil and poured it on the boy. He then lit his beedi, and with the same matchstick, set Ramavath on fire.
The boy, engulfed in flames, ran away while screaming for help and fell into a nearby ditch. His mother, sister and neighbours put off the fire and pulled him out of the ditch. He was then rushed to Gandhi Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
The police found that Balu is an alcoholic and after getting drunk everyday, would regularly abuse his family members.