Gujarat man arrested for allegedly killing 10-year-old son at home
The accused allegedly killed the child to prevent him from following a family tradition of becoming a religious medium.
A farm labourer was arrested for allegedly killing his 10-year-old son in Vinchhiya village of Ahmedabad district on Sunday night, according to Deccan Chronicle. The accused, Naresh Patel, reportedly killed the child, Karan, near a goddess's altar in his house.
The boy's mother, Bhartiben, filed a complaint at the Sanand police station. She alleged that Patel killed the child because he did not want anyone else in the family to take on the role of a bhuva, a traditional religious medium.
According to the complaint, Patel grabbed the boy by his legs, slammed him against the ground several times near the shrine, and struck his head with a wooden stick. Inspector Jayprakash Chauhan of the Sanand police station said the accused is severely mentally disturbed.
Bhartiben had gone to her parents' home following a quarrel with her husband, leaving the boy with Patel because of school examinations. A neighbour alerted her to the incident on Sunday night.
When she reached the house, she found the child's body on a cot and Patel sleeping nearby with bloodstained clothes. Deputy Superintendent of Police Neelam Goswami said preliminary information suggests the motive was to stop the child from following the family's religious tradition.
Police have registered a murder case and launched an investigation. A forensic science laboratory team visited the scene, and the child's body was sent for a post-mortem examination.