Hyderabad: A seven-year-old was branded by his step mother who placed a scalding spoon on his torso at their house in Boggulakunta near Abids.
Police said the child, Shaik Mohammed Ahil, was subjected to beatings everytime his parents, Shaik Waris Ahmed and Arshiya quarrelled.
Ahil’s mother died in 2015, and Ahmed had married Arshiya in 2016.
A case was registered with Narayanguda police on Friday afternoon, following a complaint from their neighbor, Md Qasim who stated that Ahmed had beaten Ahil with a leather belt and Arshiya had branded him by placing a hot spoon on his torso.
The couple used to scold and threaten the child earlier but the level of violence increased of late, said Narayanguda inspector B. Ravindar.
“On Friday, the boy was badly beaten up by Ahmed as he was not listening to him and shortly after that Arshiya placed a spoon on the stove and branded the boy and placed it on his shoulder and neck. When the neighbours heard the commotion and tried to intervene, they were rudely asked to leave by Arshiya,” the inspector said.
Following the complaint, a case was booked against the couple under the Juvenile Justice Act and IPC Section 324 (causing hurt). The couple was arrested and the boy sent to stay with his grandfather Shabbir Ahmed, who resides near their native place in Khammam.
