4-year-old boy beaten to death by his mother’s lover in Thane; multiple injury marks on child’s body trigger probe

THANE: A four-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death by his mother's lover in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday. The motive behind the killing is yet to be established.The accused, identified as Shambhu Sharma, was arrested after investigators became suspicious during the preliminary probe into the child's death on Monday. The incident occurred in the Kashimira police station area, and further investigation is underway.According to police, the boy's mother had been living with Sharma. Investigators alleged that the accused brutally assaulted the child at their residence, causing fatal injuries. Police further claimed that an attempt was made to portray the death as a natural one in order to conceal the crime.However, during the panchnama, police noticed multiple injury marks on the child's body, raising suspicions about the circumstances of the death. The body was subsequently sent for a post-mortem examination, which confirmed that the boy died from severe internal injuries sustained in the assault.Based on the findings, police detained Sharma, who allegedly confessed to assaulting the child during questioning, officials said.A murder case was registered against him on Tuesday. Investigators are now trying to determine the motive behind the assault and whether the child's mother had any knowledge of or involvement in the alleged crime, police added.(With agency inputs)