Maharashtra: Video of woman beating 7-month-old son goes viral; cops counsel parents

Nagpur, May 31: Police have counselled the parents of a seven-month-old boy after a video showing the infant being mercilessly beaten up by his mother here went viral on social media, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place in Pandharabodi area of Maharashtra's Nagpur district on May 24, Ambazari police station inspector Narendra Hiwre said. The police have also asked the child welfare department to look into the matter, he said.

In the video, apparently shot by a relative, the woman was purportedly seen thrashing the child during an argument with her mother-in-law. After the clip went viral on social media platforms, some residents of Pandharabodi alerted the Ambazari police.

On Sunday, Hiwre along with his team went to the boy's house and brought him and his parents to the police station. The police fed the child and counselled his parents. They asked the parents not to hit the child and later allowed them to go, an official said.

The child's father used to work as a drummer, but is currently jobless due to the coronavirus-induced restrictions, he said. The child's grandmother works as a domestic help and earns Rs 2,000 per month, which she spends to sustain the livelihood of the family, he said. A neighbour told the police that the child's mother and grandmother used to have frequent quarrels over their financial woes, he added.