Mom Accused of Throwing 6-Year-Old Son with Disabilities into Canal to Be Eaten by Crocodiles
The child’s body was recovered the next day.
Police in India have taken a couple into custody after the partially-eaten remains of their 6-year-old child were found. The mother is accused of throwing him into a canal inhabited by crocodiles, according to multiple reports.
Savitri Kumar and her husband Ravi Kumar have been charged with murder in connection with this tragic event, which happened on a Saturday night in the Indian state of Karnataka, as per reports from The Hindustan Times, Outlook India, and The Times of India.
The boy, named Vinod, had a hearing and speech impairment, these outlets, along with CNN’s India-affiliate News 18, reported.
The partially-eaten body of Vinod was discovered in the jaws of a crocodile the following day, police told The Hindustan Times and News 18.
On that fateful Saturday evening, after an argument during which Ravi allegedly blamed his wife for their child’s disabilities, Savitri is said to have thrown Vinod into the canal that leads to a crocodile-infested river, per police accounts reported by The Times of India and The Hindustan Times.
After concerned neighbors alerted the authorities, a brief search was conducted before being called off for the night, these reports indicated.
The search resumed on Sunday morning, when police retrieved Vinod’s body, which bore several bite marks and was missing a hand, according to The Times of India and News 18.
Police allege that Ravi had been pressuring Savitri to abandon their child because of his disabilities, The Times of India and WION News also reported.
“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 added.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453), or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline operates 24/7 and supports more than 170 languages.
