Based on the mother's statement, the stepfather was taken into custody. (Representational)
A four-year-old boy was hospitalised with bruises all over the body, including on his face, after allegedly being beaten by his stepfather at Thuvanur in Kunnamkulam town of this central Kerala district on Tuesday.
The toddler was first rushed to a nearby hospital and later shifted to the government medical college where his health condition is stable now, police said.
Based on a statement given by the child's mother, Prasad, the stepfather, was taken into custody, a police officer at Kunnamkulam station said.
The man, who works as a private bus conductor, cruelly beat the child using a wooden item alleging that he could not sleep properly during nights as the boy was crying, the officer said.
The incident came to public glare after the mother disclosed this to one of her neighbours, who in turn informed the police.
"We rushed to the house and made arrangements to shift the child to the hospital. The statement of the woman was recorded and the stepfather was taken into custody," the officer added.
His arrest would be recorded soon after a detailed interrogation, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)