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Mom Accused of Throwing 6-Year-Old Son with Disabilities into Canal to Be Eaten by Crocodiles
Police in India have arrested a couple after recovering the partially-eaten body of their 6-year-old son whose mother is accused of throwing him into a canal known for having crocodiles, according to multiple reports.
Savitri Kumar and her husband Ravi Kumar were arrested on murder charges in connection with the incident, which took place on Saturday night in the Indian state of Karnataka, local police say, according to The Hindustan Times, Outlook India, and The Times of India.
The boy, identified as Vinod, had a hearing and speech impediment, per Outlook India, The Times of India and CNN’s India-affiliate News 18.
His partially-eaten body was recovered from the jaws of a crocodile the following day, police said, according to The Hindustan Times and News 18.
On Saturday evening, following an altercation where Ravi allegedly blamed his wife for having a child with disabilities, Savitri allegedly threw 6-year-old Vinod into a canal which connects to a river known for its crocodiles, per police, The Times of India and The Hindustan Times reported.
After neighbors alerted police, a brief search was carried out before it was halted for the night, the outlets reported.
The search resumed on Sunday morning, when police found Vinod’s body with several bite marks and a hand missing, police said, according to The Times of India and News 18.
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Police allege Ravi had been harassing Savitri and demanding she "throw the child away" because of his disabilities, per The Times of India and WION News.
"My husband is responsible. He kept saying let [Vinod] die,” Savitri told reporters, according to Outlook India.
“If my husband keeps repeating such things, how much torture could my son endure? But he kept repeatedly telling me to let the child die," she said.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.