Thane man kills 9-year-old son by stuffing paper ball into his mouth; arrested

THANE: A 59-year-old man has been taken into custody for the alleged murder of his nine-year-old son in Thane district, police said on Wednesday. The incident occurred in

Washala

, located in the Kasara area of Sahapur taluka, during the night between Monday and Tuesday. The police stated that the accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crime, and the precise motive behind the act remains unknown.
Due to

domestic disputes

, the man and his wife had been living apart, and the child was residing with his mother, police said.
The boy was reported missing from his mother's house on Monday, prompting the family members to initiate a search for him.
The minor's lifeless body was found near his father's house at around 8am on Tuesday, a police officer said.
Upon receiving the information, police personnel rushed to the scene and found a paper ball lodged in the boy's mouth, with blood flowing from his nose, he added.
The investigation revealed that the man had turned to excessive alcohol consumption after his wife began living separately, the official stated.
According to the official, the accused consumed alcohol during the night between Monday and Tuesday and allegedly stuffed a ball, created from torn notebook pages, into the boy's mouth, resulting in the child's death.
Following a complaint lodged by a relative of the deceased, the accused was apprehended on Tuesday night and charged under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, the official confirmed.