May 06, 2024 06:55 AM IST
The couple frequently fought with each other over the disability of their son, Vinod (6), who is hearing and speech impaired since birth
A 32-year-old woman allegedly threw her six-year-old son into a crocodile-infested canal in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka following a quarrel with her husband, police said on Sunday, adding that the partially eaten body of the child was retrieved from the jaws of the reptile.
The incident occurred at Halamadi village in Dandeli taluk on Saturday night and a case of murder has been registered against Savitri (32) and her husband Ravi Kumar (36), who have been arrested, police said.
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The couple frequently fought with each other over the disability of their son, Vinod (6), who is hearing and speech impaired since birth, a senior police officer said. “After a quarrel over the same matter escalated on Saturday night, Savitri allegedly threw her son into a waste canal linked to the crocodile-infested Kali river around 9pm,” Dandeli rural police inspector Krishna Barakeri told HT.
A police team, along with fire brigade divers, reached the spot after being alerted by the neighbours. A search-and-rescue operation was launched, but since it was dark, the boy could not be found, police said.
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Around 9 am on Sunday, the search team managed to retrieve the child’s body from the jaws of a crocodile, which had already eaten the right hand of the boy. The body had severe injuries and bite marks all over it, police said. “We have registered a case of murder under IPC Section 302 against the accused couple,” the inspector said. “The husband works as a mason helper while the woman works as a housemaid in a homestay.” The accused were produced before the court, which remanded them to 14-day judicial custody. “Further investigation is underway,” the inspector added.
