Father kills 6-year-old son over suspicion, dumps body in Krishna river
Pune : In a shocking incident that has stunned both Karnataka and Maharashtra, a man allegedly murdered his six-year-old son over suspicion about his paternity and dumped the body into the Krishna River.
The victim, Siddharth, was the son of Mallikarjun Arekeri and Bhagyashree from Nagathane village in Vijayapura district. According to police, the accused father had developed doubts after some acquaintances reportedly told him that the child did not resemble him. This suspicion gradually turned into a deep obsession, leading to frequent arguments between the couple over the past one and a half years.
Instead of opting for a DNA test to clear his doubts, Mallikarjun allegedly chose a brutal path. On March 16, he told his wife that he would take the child for school admission. Dressing Siddharth in new clothes, he took him from Vijayapura to Karad in Maharashtra.
Near Vadoli Bhikeshwar in Karad taluk, he allegedly took the child to the riverbank and, in a premeditated act, pushed him into the flowing river. The child drowned, and the accused returned home as if nothing had happened.
On March 18, Karad police recovered an unidentified child’s body from the riverbank. Meanwhile, Mallikarjun misled his wife by claiming that their son had been admitted to a hostel. Suspicion grew when, on April 1—Siddharth’s birthday—he gave inconsistent answers to repeated questions from his wife. Realizing something was wrong, she approached the police and filed a missing complaint.
A joint investigation by Karnataka and Maharashtra police, aided by technical analysis, revealed that Mallikarjun’s mobile location was traced to Karad at the time of the incident. During sustained interrogation, he confessed to the crime, admitting that he killed his son due to his suspicions.
Vijayapura Rural DySP T.S. Sulpi described the act as “extremely cruel and premeditated,” confirming that the murder was driven by baseless doubts. The accused has been arrested, and police have taken him to the crime scene for further procedures.
The incident has left the local community in deep shock, with silence gripping Nagathane village. The brutal killing of an innocent child by his own father has sparked outrage, highlighting the tragic consequences of suspicion and unchecked emotions.
