Paripally, Kollam: The postmortem report of a four-year-old girl, who died in a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, pointed severe pneumonia and encephalitis as the reason for the death. The death of the child had hogged headlines as the hospital authorities reported of bruises caused by assault on her body.

However, the police informed that the assault injuries are of not a severe nature. The parents of the child, who were under custody, were let off after questioning. A case was registered against the mother of the child on charges of assault.

The deceased is Diya D Pillai, daughter of Deepu and Remya of Muttappalam in Varkala. The family has been living in a rented house near Chirakara temple in Parippally.

The condition of Diya who was on treatment for a week became critical by 7 am on Sunday. Deepu and Remya took her to the Paripally Medical College hospital where she vomited blood. As there were bruises of assault on the body of the girl, the authorities of the hospital informed the police. Later, the girl was taken in an ambulance to Thiruvananthapuram.

As the condition of the girl got serious on reaching Kazhakoottam, she was admitted to the nearby private hospital. Though she was given treatment at the hospital, she died soon. Following this, both the parents fainted. After giving first aid both of them were taken to the Kazhakoottam police station. They were questioned by a team led by Kollam City Police Commissioner P K Madhu and ACP George Koshy.

Remya, who was earlier a nurse in the private hospital gave a statement that her daughter was given treatment for fever at a private hospital in Paripally. After returning home, though she served food to her daughter she did not eat it. Following, this she had beaten her daughter with a stick, said Remya in the statement given to the police. Police have registered a case of unnatural death. A case under Juvenile Justice Act has been registered against Remya for beating the child.

If a person is infected with encephalitis even small beating may result in bruises. This was the reason for the suspicion that the girl died due to assault, said the doctors of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College who conducted the postmortem. It was due to severe virus infection in the lungs that the girl refused to eat her food.

Diya was studying in LKG at Chirakara Government High School. Body was cremated at the ancestral home of Deepu at Varkala. She has a sister Daya.