A man allegedly killed his two-year-old son after taking him out for Eid shopping late on Tuesday and dumped his body near Byculla railway station. The man had come to the city from Beed with his family last week for Eid celebrations.
The victim has been identified as Kaif Khan. He left home with his father Kadir around 7.30 pm on Tuesday. The two did not return that night, after which Kaif ’s mother approached the JJ Marg Police early on Wednesday.
While the police were looking for the two, Kadir allegedly called his wife at 9.30 am and said, “I have killed your son and dumped him on the railway track.”
The CST government railway police was alerted. They found Kaif ’s body on the railway tracks between Sandhurst Road and Byculla.
Kadir is unemployed, his wife told police. The family, natives of Beed in Marathwada, came to Mumbai last week and was staying at a relative’s house in Bhendi Bazaar.
Preliminary investigations suggested that Kadir may have drowned him first, said an officer.
“We have registered a case of murder against the boy’s father under sections of Indian Penal Code. We are on the lookout for him,” said Anil Madvi, senior inspector at JJ Marg police station.
The police are recording Kadir’s wife’s statement to establish the sequence of events. Officials said the motive for the murder remained unclear. A team of the JJ Marg police has been dispatched to Beed in pursuit of Kadir, as officials suspect he may have gone back to his native place.
The police are scanning footage of the CCTV cameras near the railway station.
Kaif ’s body has been sent for an autopsy and the reports are awaited.