Pramesh S Jain
The Vijayapura Rural Police have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his six-year-old son by throwing him into the Krishna River over suspicions about the child’s paternity.
The accused,identified as Mallikarjun Harikeri,is alleged to have killed his son Siddharth after taking him away from home on March 15 under the pretext of school admission.
Superintendent of Police,Laxman Nimbargi,told reporters that the accused returned to his village alone a few days later, giving vague and inconsistent explanations about the boy’s whereabouts.
Suspicion grew on April 1,the child’s birthday,when the mother insisted on seeing her son,prompting the family to file a missing person complaint.
Police said the accused attempted to flee soon after the case was registered,which further raised suspicion.He was later apprehended and, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to the crime.
“The accused admitted that he took the boy to Karad in Maharashtra and pushed him into the river as he doubted his paternity,”the SP said.
Subsequent investigation revealed that an Unnatural Death case had already been registered in Karad after the body of a young boy was found in the river.
Photographs shared by local police confirmed the identity of the deceased as Siddharth.
The missing person case has now been converted into a murder case,and the accused has been taken into custody.Further investigation is underway.
