Toddler beaten up by mother dies
Kochi: A three-year-old boy who suffered severe head injury after being allegedly subjected to torture by his mother died at a private hospital near here Friday morning, doctors said.
Doctors at the hospital in Aluva where the boy was being treated said the brain injury allegedly caused after being hit with a wooden object could be the reason for the child's death.
The real cause of death could be ascertained only after the post mortem, they said. The boy had slipped into coma after being allegedly subjected to torture by his mother for being 'disobedient', police had said Thursday.
The toddler, who suffered severe brain injury, had undergone a surgery at the private hospital. The woman, who hails from Jharkhand, was arrested Thursday in connection with the incident.
Police said she would be charged under IPC Section 302 (murder). Earlier, she was charged under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act (punishment for cruelty to child). Police said the woman had allegedly beaten up the child and tortured him as he was disobedient. Police have launched a thorough probe extending it to their native places in Jharkhand.
The shocking incident came to light when the boy's father brought him to the hospital Wednesday night saying he had injured himself by falling off a desk. Suspecting foul play, the doctors informed police.
It was found the boy was beaten with a wooden object and there were burn injuries on several parts of his body, police had said. The child had suffered serious head injuries.
The right side of the brain was fully damaged, doctors said. The Kerala government had said it would bear all expenses of the child's treatment. The government had also sent a team of experts from the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam for providing better medical care to the child.
A police team left from here to Jharkhand to get details about the child's family and also to find out whether the father and mother were his biological parents.
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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
