Man throws son into well near Gingee

A man allegedly threw his six-year-old son into an agricultural well following a marital dispute at Nallanpillaipetral near Gingee in Villupuram district on Friday. The accused identified as Selvaraj, 40, has been arrested.

Police said Selvaraj and his wife Devi, 35, and their five children — four daughters aged 14, 12, 9 and 7 years respectively and a son Sanjay — had been living in the village for the past six years. Selvaraj was a daily-wage labourer and addicted to alcohol.

Devi had recently obtained a loan through a women’s self-help group, and Selvaraj frequently quarrelled with her demanding money for alcohol. On Friday morning, after Devi left home for work, the accused took the boy to an agricultural field and threw him into the well.

The villagers caught hold of Selvaraj and alerted the police. The body of the child was retrieved and sent to the Gingee General Hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered.