4-Year-Old Dies In Kerala; Cops Probe If Beating Led To It

A 4-year-old girl in Kerala's Kollam district died on Sunday, after suffering from pneumonia. She was taken to a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday where she died, the police said. Some injury marks were seen on the girl's body and her relatives said that she was beaten by her mother while she was sick.

The girl's mother, who previously worked as a nurse, has confessed to beating her after the child refused to eat her food. The mother is cooperating with the investigation, the police said.

A case of "unnatural death" has been filed and the police are waiting for a detailed report to find out whether the assault led to the 4-year-old's death.

"Prima facie this is not a case of homicide. Initial medical reports have also stated pneumonia as the cause of death. However, we are awaiting a detailed medical report from the doctor about the injury marks seen on the child's body - whether it is fresh or earlier injury marks, whether it contributed to the cause of death and if it led to crime under Juvenile Justice Act," a senior police officer said.

The girl had been unwell for the past one week and was taken to a hospital nearby after she started vomiting.

The girl's father was also being questioned by the police, and further investigation into the case is underway.