Daijiworld Media Network - Palghar

Palghar, Apr 1: A four-year-old boy was critically injured in Maharashtra’s Palghar district after being allegedly attacked by an autorickshaw driver following a dispute with the child’s father, police reported on Tuesday. The horrifying incident, which took place on Monday night in a housing society in Vasai, was captured on CCTV. The accused, identified as Sandeep Pawar, has been arrested.

According to authorities, the assault erupted from a minor argument between Pawar and the boy’s father, Atul Kondhare. Senior Police Inspector Balkrishna Ghadigaonkar told reporters that the altercation escalated drastically around 8 pm.

The boy, Vignesh, was reportedly playing inside a parked autorickshaw when Pawar dragged him out by his legs, lifted him, and slammed him to the ground. The accused then allegedly carried the child into a building, smashed his head against an iron rod, and threw him down again.

“The brutality did not end there,” Ghadigaonkar said. “Pawar acted solely to avenge a minor fight with the child’s father.” The child’s grandmother, who tried to intervene, was also reportedly attacked, and Pawar dragged the boy to his first-floor home.

Vignesh was initially treated at local hospitals but was later moved to a Mira Road hospital due to the severity of his injuries. He remains in the intensive care unit, fighting for his life.

Pawar was produced in a local court and remanded to three days of police custody. A case has been registered against him under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (attempt to murder) and relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Investigations are ongoing.