Two weeks ago, a short video featuring one-and-a-half-year-old Arshid and his mother, Akhila, drew widespread attention on social media. Filmed by a YouTuber in mid-May, the video showed the little boy with both hands in plaster casts. When asked what had happened, Akhila replied that he had fallen from a bicycle.
As the clip spread online, many viewers responded with light-hearted comments, describing the child as mischievous or “naughty”. Few could have imagined that behind the brief interaction lay a story of prolonged suffering.
On May 29, Arshid died.
Investigators now say the injuries visible in that viral video were not the result of childhood mischief but part of a pattern of severe and repeated physical abuse allegedly inflicted by his stepfather, Ashkar, 31.
The Nedumangad police arrested Ashkar after a post-mortem examination revealed extensive internal injuries, including bleeding in the head and other parts of the body. The findings pointed to sustained violence rather than an accident.
According to investigators, the one-and-a-half-year-old bore nearly 50 injury marks of varying ages and severity across his body. Some injuries were fresh, while others appeared older. Police said burn marks, suspected to have been caused by cigarette stubs, were also found.
The case came to light on Friday when Ashkar took the child to a private hospital in Panavoor, claiming that he had choked while eating lunch. Arshid was later shifted to SAT Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
At the time, Akhila, 24, was reportedly in Tamil Nadu for a dance programme.
Although relatives initially expressed concerns about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, police launched a deeper investigation only after medical findings suggested foul play. Reports suggest that the child’s grandparents had earlier alerted the police about suspected repeated assaults on the boy, but no action was taken at the time.
The probe, led by the Nedumangad DySP, uncovered evidence that Arshid had allegedly been subjected to repeated assaults over an extended period. Police said Akhila was aware that Ashkar regularly beat her son but neither intervened nor informed the authorities. She is likely to be included in the chargesheet as the investigation progresses.
Police officials described the case as one involving not only violence but also prolonged neglect.
Investigators traced the family’s circumstances in the years leading up to the child’s death. After the death of her husband, Akhila had reportedly informed authorities that she was unable to care for her son. The boy was subsequently looked after by her mother, while Akhila lived with Ashkar without being legally married to him.