Kerala’s Nedumanagad Panavoor area has just hit headlines for being the location of a horrific crime where a stepfather killed a toddler after subjecting the child to brutal and sustained physical torture over a period of months.The case came to light after Arshith, 1.5-year-old child, was rushed to a local hospital in the area following a medical emergency.The child’s stepfather, Ashkar, told doctors that the kid had choked on food and died but the doctors discovered 51 wounds on the boy’s body — burns on feet caused by flames from a lighter, blade marks, chest contusions and injuries across genitals and legs.The cops have now arrested Ashkar who was living with Akhila, the toddler’s mother, while still not having completed divorce formalities with wife Amina.Kerala Woman and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna today blamed police inaction for the child’s murder and said a report would be submitted to the state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.This even as public anger has spilled on to the roads and the locals rushed to assault Ashkar who was taken to his rented house in the area for recreation of crime scene by the police.The toddler’s grandparents have now alleged that they lodged complaints against Ashkar when they spotted injuries on the boy’s body.Shockingly, the deceased boy’s mother has admitted to doing nothing to protect the baby while being in the know of the merciless assaults being mounted on him.In fact, the police have now said that she lied about an old injury to the boy’s arms saying he had fallen from a bicycle.One Instagram post shows a smiling Akhila carrying Arshith with both his arms plastered from fractures.Ashkar meanwhile is known to have a history of abuse and his wife is recuperating at a local rehabilitation centre from his prolonged physical abuse.Both Akhila Chandran and Ashkar have been arrested.