Yemeni boy lies in a hospital bed
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / A Yemeni boy lies in a hospital bed as he receives treatment in the Huthi-rebel-held capital Sanaa on March 11, 2019, from wounds sustained during a reported air strike in the Kisar district of the northern Hajjah province.MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images [Representational Image]

A 7-year-old from Kerala ends up in ventilator after he suffered major injuries including a cracked skull after he was brutally attacked by his mother's partner on Thursday.

The incident took place in Kumaramangalam near Thodupuzha in Idukki district of Kerala when Arun Anand (35), a native of Thiruvananthapuram started assaulting the younger brother of the victim. The boy was trying to protect his 4-year-old brother from getting beaten up by the accused.

The accused smashed the victim on the ground and had hit him with a stick on his head. The boy sustained skull fracture, internal bleeding and lung injury. He also had cuts and bruises all over the body. The boy's mother and brother were also present during the incident.

The incident came into light after the local hospital authorities informed the police and Child Rights Commission about the deteriorating condition of the boy. The boy was later shifted to a hospital in Ernakulam for emergency surgery. But even after the surgery, the boy is still in critical condition as the blood circulation to his head has stopped.

According to the police, the accused Arun has been living with the family from the past few months and is a drug addict. The victim's younger brother has also sustained injuries and the police have recorded his statement as he is the only witness of the assault.

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked for an immediate report on the incident from the district authorities. He has also asked the hospital authorities to ensure that all expert treatments are given to the victim.

Health Minister KK Shylaja said the government will bear the treatment expenses of the child. "Stringent action will be taken against those engaged in cruelty to children. The covering up of assaults against children is also a grave crime," said the minister, reports NDTV.

Several Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections have been slapped against Arun, including section 303 (attempt to murder), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.