Drunk batters 18-month-old son to death

The incident occurred last afternoon at Mahakali Nagar under the Sakkardara police area when Bandu Balkrishna Patil, a kerosene vendor, hit his 18-month-old son, Abhishek alias Fattya, against the floor of his house after an altercation with his father-in-law, police said.

A drunkard with a criminal history, Bandu was intoxicated when he picked up the quarrel and took out his anger on the hapless child, police added.

In what seems to be an attempt tohush up the matter, the body of the victim was buried within three hours of the incident at the Manewada Ghat, around 5 pm yesterday. The police learnt about the incident only when a social activist residing near Patil8217;s house reported the matter and lodged an FIR.

Bandu has since been arrested for murder and attempt to destroy evidence. He was produced today before Chief Judicial Magistrate P N Mehta, who remanded him to police custody till tomorrow.

Earlier today, police officials procured a letter from the District Collector8217;s office for assigning an executive magistrate and a civil surgeon to the spot from where the body was to be exhumed for postmortem.

Reliable police sources said that when they approached the dean of the Government Medical College GMC with the Collector8217;s letter, they were told that the letter was addressed to the civil surgeon, a post which did not exist at the GMC.

Subsequently, they approached the civil surgeon, at Mayo General Hospital, who said he could not accompany thepolice as the area where the incident occurred did not fall under his jurisdiction.

Apparently, the police had to approach the Collector8217;s office once again to get a fresh letter addressed in the name of the dean of GMC. They could get the letter only at the fag end of the day, thus forcing them to put off the process of exhuming the body till tomorrow, sources added.

Meanwhile, a preliminary probe revealed that Bandu had an inter-caste marriage four years ago and is a father of three. His father-in-law is a physically handicapped person, sources said, adding that Bandu would often come home drunk and pick up quarrels with his family members. He has also been involved in a case of robbery, sources added.

Bandu8217;s wife told the police that he had left home around 9.30 am yesterday on work and returned in the afternoon. She said that during this period Abhishek accidentally swallowed a broken piece of glass and was taken to a nearby private hospital by a family acquaintance, Ramesh. The doctors theredirected Ramesh to take the child to GMC as it was a medico-legal matter. The child died by the time he could be taken to the GMC.

Sources said that the versions given by Bandu and his wife were contradictory, as Bandu claimed that the boy died in hospital.

Had the death occurred in the hospital, the medical authorities would not have released the body within three hours of the incident to facilitate the last rites, sources added. Some neighbours also reported to the police that the boy was hit against the floor by his drunk father, sources said.

The reason behind the death will only become clear when the investigators receive the postmortem findings after the body is exhumed tomorrow. Sub-inspector Shankar Patwari is investigating the case under the guidance of Sakkardara police station officer Jeevraj Dabhade.