Man Arrested in Uran for Allegedly Beating Three-Year-Old Stepson to Death
A three-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death by his stepfather at their home in the Mora area of Uran on August 14 after the child expressed a desire to visit his biological father, police said. The accused had initially claimed the child fell from a bed, but a post-mortem report revealed multiple fractures and head trauma, prompting police to treat the death as a homicide.
The victim, Moksh Bhise, was allegedly assaulted by his stepfather, Jitendra Bhise, at their residence in Phanaswadi between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm on August 14. Police arrested Bhise on August 15, and he was remanded to police custody until August 20.
According to police, Bhise brought the unconscious child to Indira Gandhi Rural Hospital in Uran at around 4 pm on August 14, claiming the toddler had sustained injuries after falling from a bed. Doctors pronounced the boy dead shortly after arrival. The boy's mother, Kavya Mhatre, was away at the time visiting her ailing brother at a hospital along with her elder daughter, only to find her son dead upon her return.
After doctors declared the child dead, Bhise left the hospital with the body. Hospital authorities promptly alerted the police. Officers from the Mora Sagari police station rushed to the family's residence, where they discovered that Bhise had already begun making preparations for the boy's last rites. Police intervened, stopped the funeral arrangements, and took possession of the body for a post-mortem examination.
Rahul Katwani, senior inspector of Mora Sagari police station, stated that the intervention occurred just as the accused was preparing the final rites, allowing authorities to send the body for a formal autopsy.
The subsequent post-mortem report confirmed that the death was an unnatural homicide caused by physical assault. Medical examiners identified severe head injuries, rib fractures, and multiple trauma marks across the child's body, which were inconsistent with a fall from a bed.
Police said Moksh, who was three years and five months old, was Mhatre's child from her previous marriage to Sohail Firoz Khan, a Panvel resident. Bhise had married Mhatre about one-and-a-half years ago.
Investigators stated that Bhise frequently assaulted and harassed the child over trivial issues due to him being his stepson. On August 14, an argument reportedly broke out when the boy asked to go to his biological father. The accused allegedly smashed the boy's head and punched him in the chest, fracturing his ribs and causing fatal injuries.
