Navi Mumbai: A 28-year-old fisherman allegedly killed his three-year-old stepson in Uran after losing his temper when the child repeatedly told him he was his real father, and that he wanted to go to his real father. The accused, Jitendra Pradeep Bhise, initially claimed the boy had suffered fatal head injuries after falling from a bed while playing, but an autopsy revealed multiple fractured ribs and injuries to the head and internal organs, exposing the murder.Bhise, a resident of Mora-Phanaswadi village, was arrested by Mora Coastal police on Aug 15, and booked for murder under the BNS and relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. A court remanded him in police custody till Aug 20.The victim, Moksha, 3 years and five months old, was the son of Bhise’s wife Kavya, 26, from her second marriage. Bhise, who was also a divorcee, had married Kavya around 18 months ago. Kavya had two children from her second husband.According to senior inspector Rahul Katwani, police suspected foul play after Bhise opposed the child’s postmortem and allegedly tried to rush through the final rites. “We suspected foul play and stopped the final rites until the postmortem was conducted,” said Katwani.Moksha died on Aug 14, after being taken to Indira Gandhi Rural Hospital in Uran. Autopsy report found severe head injuries, multiple rib fractures and injuries to internal organs, which police said were inconsistent with a simple fall.During questioning, Bhise allegedly confessed that he assaulted Moksha around 12.30pm when they were alone at home. Police said the boy again told him that he was not his real father and wanted to go to his biological father, following which Bhise allegedly banged his head against a wall, beat his legs with a wooden stick and threw him onto a sofa before punching him hard in the chest, fracturing his ribs.After the autopsy findings emerged on Aug 15, police registered an FIR and arrested Bhise. The investigation is underway. — George Mendonca
