The boy, Rahul, weighed seven kilograms against an expected weight of 12 kilograms, according to the postmortem report. He also suffered from anaemia. No suspicious wounds or external injuries were found on his body.
Rahul was found dead at his home near Mathukulangara Temple in Mahadevikkad on Sunday morning.
Alappuzha, Keralam,Oct 19, 2026 19:47 IST
Keralam’s child rights commission has registered a suo motu case over the death of a two-year-old boy in a suspected case of malnutrition in Haripad in Alappuzha district. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are awaiting test results to establish the cause.
Rahul was found dead at his home in Mahadevikkad on Sunday morning. An officer at Trikkunnapuzha police station said doctors found him to be “acutely anaemic” and apparently malnourished. He weighed 7.6 kilograms, against a weight closer to 12 kilograms expected for his age, the officer said.
“A histopathology test will confirm whether the toddler's condition and death were caused due to some illness or malnourishment,” the officer said. Further action would depend on the results.
No suspicious wounds or external injuries were found on his body. Local residents had raised suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought explanations from the District Medical Officer, the Karthikappally Grama Panchayat Secretary, the District Child Protection Officer and the local Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supervisor.
OTHER CHILDREN TAKEN INTO CARE
Rahul’s mother was admitted to the government medical college hospital at Vandanam on Saturday to give birth. The children were at home with their father, an autorickshaw driver, who found Rahul dead the next morning, police said.
The couple have five other children, including the newborn. Another child had died earlier, the officer said. The Child Welfare Committee has taken the surviving children into its care.
Police said the family had previously been moved to Gandhibhavan, a shelter home, because of their poor living conditions. The officer alleged that they created problems there and returned home.
District panchayat member Babitha Jayan alleged that the parents had refused nutrition support and government assistance despite repeated efforts by ASHA workers, health staff and the panchayat.
She also alleged that the parents did not send their children to the Anganwadi despite repeated calls. Even after the children were taken to school, the parents did not continue sending them, she said.
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