A disturbing incident in Maharashtra’s Palghar district has drawn attention after a four-year-old child was brutally assaulted by an autorickshaw driver, allegedly as an act of revenge linked to a prior dispute with the child’s father. The attack, which occurred inside a residential society, was captured on CCTV and has since become a key piece of evidence in the investigation.
According to police, the incident took place on Monday evening around 7:30 pm, when the child was playing in the society compound and briefly sat inside a parked autorickshaw belonging to Sandeep Pawar, who lives in the same परिसर. Upon arriving, Pawar reportedly drove away other children before targeting the boy.
The footage shows the accused forcibly pulling the child out of the rickshaw and subjecting him to a violent assault. He is seen repeatedly slamming the child’s head against the vehicle, throwing him to the ground headfirst, dragging him by the legs, and continuing the attack near a staircase. The severity of the assault left the child critically injured.
The child’s grandmother attempted to intervene but was also assaulted during the incident. The boy was immediately taken to Wockhardt Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit, with his condition reported to be critical.
Police investigations revealed that the attack was allegedly motivated by a personal dispute that had taken place a few days earlier between Pawar and the child’s father, Atul Kondhare. Officials said the assault appeared to be a deliberate act of retaliation.
Following the incident, Vasai Police registered a case against Pawar under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act. He has since been arrested.
Authorities also noted that the accused reportedly showed no remorse after the attack and was heard attempting to justify his actions in front of residents, stating that he had acted out of revenge.
