Mumbai, December 28: A 12-year-old boy was killed in Hivare village of Maharashtra’s Satara district earlier this month due to cancer-related misconceptions. The boy’s father, Vijay Khatal, believed he had cancer and took the extreme step of killing his young son, fearing the child would also succumb to the disease.

TOI reported that on December 23, the police discovered the boy’s body in a field in the village. Medical examination revealed that the child had been strangled with a rope. Kanpur Shocker: Man Kills Son After He Switches Off TV During India vs Australia World Cup 2023 Final Match.

SP Samir Sheikh assembled a team to investigate the case. Interrogations and witness statements unveiled the unsettling truth of the father’s involvement in the crime. During police questioning, Khatal admitted to the crime. Gujarat Shocker: Man Kills 4-Year-Old Suspecting He Was Not His Biological Son in Jamnagar, Arrested.

While the initial suspicion leaned toward human sacrifice, Sheikh clarified that this angle has been ruled out. “Khatal feared that he only had a few months to live, and after his death, no one would be able to take care of his only child. Khatal never actually had cancer. He had been feeling feeble and thought he had cancer,” the SP added.

A court granted custody of Khatal to the police until December 29.

The incident comes after a 32-year-old man died after his father in a fit of rage hit him with a wooden club after quarrelling over a chicken curry. The victim’s father was enraged as he did not get to taste the dish made at home, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. The Subrahmanya police rushed to the spot and arrested the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2023 08:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).