Thodupuzha: The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here on Friday sentenced a man and his wife to seven and 10 years of imprisonment, respectively, for attempting to murder a five-year-old boy in 2013. The court found the boy's father Shareef and stepmother Aneesha guilty of the crime.

The verdict came 11 years after the incident. During Friday's proceedings, the court upheld the charges of attempted murder against the accused. The quantum of punishment was announced later in the day.

According to the prosecution, five-year-old Shafeeq was admitted to a private hospital in Kattappana on July 15, 2013, with severe head injuries, burn marks, and fractured bones. Shareef had claimed that the boy sustained the injuries after falling from a ladder. However, doctors quickly realised that the child had been subjected to brutal torture.

The police arrested Shareef and his second wife following an investigation, which revealed that the boy had been starved for days and severely abused. Shafeeq remained in critical condition at the hospital, with a deep head injury causing 75% brain haemorrhage. Doctors warned of a high risk of brain death, but Shafeeq survived.

Now 16, Shafeeq suffers from severe mental and physical impairments caused by the injuries. He is bedridden and under the care of Ragini, who told Manorama News that the boy remains a victim of horrific child abuse.

The trial began in 2022, nearly a decade after the case was registered. The defence argued that medical negligence exacerbated the child's condition, but circumstantial evidence and medical reports proved crucial in securing the conviction. Police had charged the accused with attempted murder, assault and causing grievous hurt with fire.