Mumbai: The Malvani police have detained a live-in couple from Malad for allegedly assaulting their three children, following a complaint lodged by the woman’s mother. According to officials, 32-year-old Chetna Patil and her partner, 40-year-old Pankaj Kumar, were staying near the Patils’ mother, Poonam Parmar (54), who reported repeated incidents of physical abuse involving the couple’s children.

The family resides in Malwani, close to Parmar’s residence, according to a Hindustan Times report. Patil has a seven-year-old son, Priyank, from her previous marriage, and two younger children, Raghav, aged 1, and Vivani, aged 2, from her current relationship with Kumar.

As per a report, in her complaint, Parmar said that she had witnessed the couple hit Priyank brutally in 2020, when they lived in Andheri. Their neighbours had also shown her videos of them assaulting the young boy. She subsequently convinced the couple to shift to Malad, close to her residence, and hoped that the assaults had ended.

However, on Saturday, when Parmar visited her daughter, she saw Kumar assaulting his stepson Priyank and complained about the matter to the Malvani police.

Parmar told the police about the incident and stated, "They have been torturing the children constantly, both physically and mentally. The children have visible injury marks all over their bodies," as reported.

Based on her statement and preliminary medical reports, the police registered a case under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which deals with cruelty towards children, and Section 115(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

KEM Forensic Dept Head Booked for Molestation, POCSO Case Filed

In another incident, a senior official at Mumbai's KEM Hospital has been booked for alleged molestation, following a complaint filed by the wife of an assistant professor at the same hospital. The FIR was registered by the Bhoiwada Police based on allegations of the victim.

The accused, who heads the Forensic Medicine Department, is facing serious charges under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.