Tamil Nadu

Boy tortured by father lands in hospital

SALEM: Six-year-old Mariappan, who sustained serious burns and bleeding injuries when his alcoholic father jabbed beedi butts on his body and whipped him with leather straps and thorny sticks, is recovering fast.

A couple of days ago, a policeman spotted the boy, son of Ravi, a gravedigger at Maniyanur near here, weeping at the Government Medical College Hospital. When the boy showed him the injuries, the constable took him to the hospital and the boy was admitted to the childcare ward.

The boy alleged that his father beat him up with sticks, leather straps and stones on the back and burnt his thighs with beedi butts. Since his mother had left them a year ago, he and his younger sister were staying with Ravi. As the boy was unable to bear the pain any more and since no one in the neighbourhood came forward to help him, he decided to trek alone to hospital, some 8 km from his house. A team of doctors found 32 injuries on him.

But no one from his family had come to the hospital to take care of him. The staff and visitors provided him with food and milk.

A senior doctor told The Hindu that Mariappan was responding to treatment and recovering remarkably. The hospital has approached the Social Welfare Department to take care of him after discharge. In the meantime, the police have registered a case under Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code against Ravi.

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