THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have arrested Shijil, a native of Kanjiramkulam in connection with the death of his one-year-old son, ruling it a case of murder. Shijil allegedly inflicted a fatal injury on the child’s lower abdomen using his right elbow after keeping the child on his lap, according to findings by the forensic surgeon and the investigation team. He will be produced before the court on Saturday.
Police said Shijil harboured suspicions about his wife and believed that Ihaan was not his biological child. Investigators suspect that this belief may have been the motive behind the crime.
Shijil was living in a rented house at Kavalakulam where the murder took place. The incident happened around 9.30 pm on Friday. Shijil and his wife Krishnapriya took the child to the Neyyattinkara General Hospital on January 16 night after foam was seen coming from the child’s mouth. Doctors at the casualty department found that the child had died before reaching the hospital and noted injuries to the lower abdomen during the initial examination.
Shijil reportedly told doctors that the child developed symptoms after having biscuits and grapes he had bought. However, a detailed body examination conducted on the next day by the hospital’s forensic surgeon confirmed abdominal injury. The body was later sent to the Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. After the autopsy, Ihaan was laid to rest at his mother Krishnapriya’s family home at Anthiyoorkonam.
Though Shijil was taken into police custody on January 17, he was released the next day afternoon as the post-mortem report had not yet been received. He remained under police surveillance.
On Tuesday, the investigating officer, Balaramapuram CI V Saijunath, met the forensic surgeon who conducted the autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. Following this, Shijil was arrested on Friday night. During interrogation, police said, he confessed to having forcefully hit the child’s lower abdomen with his right elbow.
Police also revealed that Krishnapriya had earlier filed a complaint alleging abuse of the child. A complaint had been lodged at the Poovar police station stating that Ihan had suffered injuries after being pushed by his father about a month ago. At the time of his death, the child’s right hand was in a plaster cast due to that earlier injury.
Shijil and Krishnapriya had been living separately until about two months ago, during which time Krishnapriya stayed with Ihaan at her family home in Anthiyoorkonam. After Ihaan was brought to the hospital, her relatives alleged foul play and staged a protest outside the hospital. The couple later resumed living together at the rented house in Kavalakulam.
A complaint had been lodged at the Poovar police station stating that Ihan had suffered injuries after being pushed by his father about a month ago