Dad beats son to death

TT, Raiganj, Jan. 29: A man allegedly beat his 12-year-old son to death apparently for taking part in the Republic Day parade without informing him and was arrested after a police complaint was lodged against him by the victim's maternal uncle.

Sujan Roy, a Class VII student of Kasibati High School in the neighbourhood where he stayed, had taken part in the parade held at Raiganj stadium as he was enlisted as a cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Molina, the boy's mother, said that on Republic Day the boy was beaten up after he returned from the parade.

"My husband, Subrata, is a truck driver. On Republic Day my son left for school after putting on his NCC uniform around 8am. I was watching the parade on a local channel when my husband returned from duty. My son returned home around noon and he was scolded by his father for staying out late. He then started kicking and slapping him. I could not stop the beating. Neighbours, on hearing the commotion, rushed in to stop the beating," the mother said.

The next day, Subrata again beat up his son for not bathing. "My son was doing his math homework when my husband came in on Friday afternoon and began to give him a hiding. He kicked him and my son fell on the courtyard and his head hit a stone. The hiding did not stop despite Suman bleeding from the head and mouth and nose. Once again neighbours intervened and we managed to admit him to the district hospital," she said.

According to sources in the district hospital, the boy had suffered head and chest injuries. "He was bleeding internally and we referred him to Malda Medical College and Hospital on Saturday afternoon," said a hospital source.

Police sources said Sujan died at the Malda hospital around 3.30am today.

Subrata later said he had not meant to kill his son. "I had no intentions of killing my son. I was just trying to discipline him," he said.

North Dinajpur police superintendent Amit Kumar Bharat Rathod said Subrata was arrested.

"The father was with the relatives at Malda hospital and we sensed that residents of Kasibati were waiting to lay their hands on the father.... He will be produced in court tomorrow," a source said.