Hyderabad: A four-year-old boy is battling for life after his father allegedly assualted him by repeatedly smashing his head against a pillar of the PVNR Expressway, hitting his head with a stone and flinging him to the ground near Pillar No 104 in Gudimalkapur on Wednesday morning, following a marital discord.The accused, 25-year-old Salman, a centering worker, has been booked for attempt to murder and taken into police custody.Doctors at Niloufer Hospital treating the child said that his condition is critical. “The toddler has suffered severe head injuries and is currently on the ventilator. We are seeking a neurologist’s opinion to ascertain the exact condition and will provide treatment accordingly,” an official from the hospital told TOI.According to local police, Salman and his wife, Rukhsana Begum, have three children – the boy, who is the eldest, and two younger daughters. The family resides in the Golconda area. The couple had reportedly quarrelled on Tuesday night.“He was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and assaulted his wife and mother. Following the incident, Rukhsana left for her parental home with the two girls, while the boy remained with Salman,” said Gudimalkapur inspector, Ch Ramesh.Around 7.30 am on Wednesday, Salman took the child from home, telling him he was taking him to his brother’s house in Kanchanbagh. “He then allegedly took the boy near Pillar No 104 of the PVNR Expressway, held him up side down and repeatedly banged his head against the pillar. He even struck his head with a stone before throwing him to the ground,” the cop said.Locals who witnessed the incident rushed to the child’s rescue and overpowered Salman. They allegedly thrashed him before he managed to flee. Police said local witnesses claimed Salman had first attempted to push the child under a DCM vehicle before attacking him near the pillar. The injured boy, who suffered severe head injuries and heavy bleeding, was initially shifted to a nearby hospital and later referred to Niloufer Hospital for advanced treatment.“The exact motive is still unclear. However, local inquiries suggest he frequently quarrelled with and assaulted his wife. We are still verifying what happened at the scene of offence and collecting CCTV footage” said the inspector adding that case was booked following a complaint by Rukshana,Police later traced Salman and took him into custody. According to investigators, he has several theft cases registered against him. They said Salman has so far not cooperated during questioning and has denied the allegations.
