3-year-old boy allegedly beaten to death by stepfather in Uran

The deceased, Moksh Bhise, was allegedly assaulted by his stepfather, Jitendra Bhise, at their home in Phanaswadi between 11.30am and 2.30pm on August 14, police said

NAVI MUMBAI: A three-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death by his stepfather at their home in Uran’s Mora area after he expressed a desire to go to his biological father, police said. The accused allegedly told doctors that the child had fallen from a bed when he took him to hospital, but a post-mortem later revealed multiple injuries and fractures, leading police to treat the death as homicide.

3-year-old boy allegedly beaten to death by stepfather in Uran

The deceased, Moksh Bhise, was allegedly assaulted by his stepfather, Jitendra Bhise, at their home in Phanaswadi between 11.30am and 2.30pm on August 14, police said. Bhise, who married Moksh’s mother, Kavya Mhatre, around one-and-a-half years ago, was arrested on August 15 and is in police custody till August 20.

Police said Bhise took the unconscious child to Indira Gandhi Rural Hospital in Uran at around 4pm and claimed that he had fallen from the bed. Doctors declared Moksh dead soon after. Kavya was away when the incident occurred as she had gone to a hospital to meet her ailing brother and had taken her elder daughter with her. When she returned, she found her son dead.

The accused allegedly left the hospital with the child’s body. The hospital then alerted the police. When officers reached the family’s home, they found that Bhise had allegedly begun preparations for the child’s last rites. Police stopped the preparations and sent the body for a post-mortem.

“The hospital immediately informed the police. When our officers reached his house, the accused had already started making arrangements for the last rites. We intervened and took the body for a post-mortem examination,” said Rahul Katwani, senior inspector of Mora Sagari police station.

The post-mortem report changed the course of the investigation. Doctors found head injuries, multiple injuries and fractures, including injuries to the ribs, and classified the death as an unnatural homicidal death caused by assault.

During the investigation, police learnt that Moksh, who was three years and five months old, was Mhatre’s son from her previous marriage to Sohail Firoz Khan, a Panvel resident.

Police suspect that Bhise attacked the child after an argument in which Moksh expressed a desire to go to his biological father. Investigators also learnt that Bhise allegedly frequently assaulted the boy over trivial matters and subjected him to physical and mental harassment because he was his stepson.

“The accused was known to have a temper and the boy was very scared in his presence. On that day, the accused allegedly smashed the child’s head and punched him on the chest, resulting in fractures to his ribs,” said the investigating officer.

The case was initially registered as an accidental death based on Bhise’s claim that Moksh had fallen from the bed. However, the post-mortem findings and witness statements indicated injuries inconsistent with an accidental fall, police said. Subsequently, police arrested Bhise on August 15.