A two-and-a-half-year-old boy died after his father allegedly doused him with petrol and set him on fire in Gujarat, India, reportedly because he considered raising the child a burden.
According to The Times of India on Thursday, the suspect, Ashok Raval, allegedly poured petrol over his son, Navghan, before setting him alight in Suigam, Vav-Tharad district, on Oct 13.
Preliminary investigations found that Raval had been living separately from his wife for some time, leaving him to care for their son alone.
The suspect was allegedly growing increasingly stressed by the responsibility, as he had no one else to help look after the child.
The incident reportedly occurred between 1pm and 2pm. Raval allegedly set the boy on fire before taking him to hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The suspect then allegedly buried his son’s body in a community cemetery with the help of family members in an attempt to conceal the actual cause of death.
The case came to light after the suspect’s uncle, Babu Raval, learned about the incident and lodged a police report.
Following the report, authorities exhumed the child’s body for further examination.
Suigam police are investigating the suspect for murder and the destruction of evidence.
