“It doesn’t matter to me if you live or die” – these were a father’s deeply distressing last words to his son before he killed him.
A man killed his 14-year-old son in Bengaluru yesterday by beating him up with a cricket bat and slamming his head against a wall after an argument about his mobile addiction and lack of interest in studies, sending shockwaves across the city. Not only did Ravi Kumar torture his son before killing him but even tried to cover up the murder.
The matter came to light after the police received a report about the suspicious death of a schoolboy in the Kumaraswamy Layout area. When they reached his home, a shocking sight was awaiting them. The teenager’s bier was ready and his family was busy preparing for his last rites. The police then took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem.
Autopsy Revealed Father’s Brutality
The boy had serious internal injuries on his head and multiple wounds on his body, indicating he had been brutally assaulted before he died, as per the post-mortem report.
Kumar, a carpenter by profession, was extremely angry with his son – a Class 9 student – for his disinterest in studies, the police investigation revealed.
On the day of the crime, a trivial argument over getting a mobile phone repaired pushed Kumar over the edge. He got hold of a cricket bat and beat up Tejas with it.
But he was still not done. He smashed his son against a wall, saying, “It doesn’t matter to me whether you live or die”.
The boy fell to the ground and continued to writhe in pain. His condition kept worsening from 8 am to 2 pm. But he was taken to a hospital only after he stopped breathing, according to the investigation. He was declared dead on arrival by doctors.
“There used to be heated arguments between the child and his parents. They were not happy about his performance in studies and his excessive use of mobile phone. They claimed he was also keeping bad company. And that led to the boy’s murder,” said Lokesh B, Deputy Commissioner Of Police (South).
Attempts To Cover Up
The man tried to hide the murder by cleaning blood stains from the body and started preparations for the last rite. He also hid the bat.
According to the police, this was an attempt to destroy evidence and make the case look like a normal death.
The boy is survived by his parents and two younger siblings.
The father has been arrested and the investigation into the case is underway.
