Man throws 4-year-old differently-abled son into fire after quarrel with his wife

In a shocking incident, a man from the east Indian state of Odisha threw his four-year-old differently-abled son into a fire after a quarrel with his wife on Friday, 8 December, night.

According to the police, the man – who belongs to a tribe in the region – was allegedly drunk when he committed the crime in Mangipalli village in Odisha's Malkangiri district, the New Indian Express newspaper reported.

The man reportedly returned home drunk and started quarrelling with his wife. Then, in a fit of rage, he picked up his son who was sitting nearby and threw him into a fire which was being used for cooking food outside the house.

Villagers informed the local Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha) worker about the incident who immediately rushed the boy to the hospital.

The boy is said to have sustained more than 50% burn injuries. However, he is currently out of danger and is responding to treatment, hospital sources said.

Meanwhile, the police are on the lookout for the child's father after he managed to flee from the village.

According to the newspaper, no complaint has been registered with the police in connection with the incident yet.

In a relatively similar incident which took place on 28 November, a Missouri couple allegedly put their four-month-old baby in a microwave and fractured his skull. Derick Boyce-Slezak and wife Mikala, both 22, have been charged with felony abuse or neglect of a child after their baby boy was taken to a hospital with multiple injuries.