Ghatkopar man held for hurling 9-month-old son off skywalk after row with wife

A 23-year-old man has been arrested in Mumbai for allegedly hurling his nine-month-old son from a skywalk outside Ghatkopar railway station after a fight with his wife. The baby, Aarav, was badly hurt and is in the intensive care unit of Sion Hospital.

The accused has been identified as Jafar Sheikh. Some accounts of the case spell his first name Zafar. He lives in the Sarvodaya Nagar area of Ghatkopar with his wife, Aarti, 22, who is the complainant. The couple married about two years ago. Police said Sheikh sells clothes in the neighbourhood. For the past few months the two had been quarrelling often, allegedly because of his drug habit.

The incident took place on Sunday, October 25. The accounts differ on the hour. The police version puts it at about 8.10 pm, while other reports say it was around 10 pm. Aarti was standing on the skywalk at the Ghatkopar East station complex with the baby when her husband arrived and began arguing with her. He then tried to take the child away.

Vitthal Ardekar, senior police inspector at Ghatkopar police station, described what followed. "During the quarrel he abused his wife and tried to take the child away with him. When Aarti tried to stop him, he threw the child off the skywalk in anger. His intention was to kill the child."

Aarti ran down the stairs at once. With the help of people nearby, she carried the injured infant to Rajawadi Hospital. Because his injuries were serious, he was moved to Sion Hospital, where he remains in the ICU. Constable Bharat Thakur and Assistant Police Inspector Reena Lohar of Ghatkopar police also helped get the child to Rajawadi Hospital, so that treatment began without delay.

On Aarti's complaint, Ghatkopar police registered a case against Sheikh under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with attempt to murder. Ardekar confirmed that the accused has been arrested. The investigation is continuing, and further details on the probe and on the child's medical condition are awaited.