Uran Man Arrested for Murder of 3-Year-Old Stepson in Mora
The Mora Coastal Police have arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly murdering his three-and-a-half-year-old stepson at Phanswadi in Mora, Uran, after the child told him he was not his real father and wanted to go to his biological father.
The accused, Jitendra Pradeep Bhise, was booked for murder and under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. A court remanded him in police custody till August 20.
The deceased child, three-year-and-five-month-old Moksh, lived with his mother Kavya and Bhise. Police stated that Bhise had allegedly subjected the child to ongoing physical and mental abuse over petty issues.
According to the police, Bhise and Moksh were alone at their home on the afternoon of August 14 when the child insisted on seeing his biological father and told Bhise he was not his real father. Angered by the remarks, Bhise allegedly assaulted the boy, banging his head against a wall, striking his legs with a wooden stick, and punching him forcefully in the chest after throwing him onto a sofa. The assault caused severe head injuries and fractured ribs, resulting in the child's death.
Following the incident, Bhise allegedly attempted to cover up the crime by claiming that Moksh had fallen from a bed while playing. He took the unconscious child to the Indira Gandhi Rural Hospital in Uran, where doctors pronounced him dead at around 4 pm. Bhise then attempted to arrange a funeral without alerting the police or allowing a post-mortem examination, raising suspicion among officers.
Police took custody of the body and initially registered an accidental death case. An advance death certificate issued by the hospital on August 15 confirmed severe head trauma and rib fractures consistent with assault.
Senior police inspector Rahul Katwani said the medical findings revealed injuries that did not align with a simple fall, and the post-mortem findings alongside technical investigation helped establish the sequence of events. Police subsequently questioned Bhise, who allegedly confessed to the crime before being formally arrested.
