Man who hurled toddler sent in custody

Mumbai: A day after a 43-year-old allegedly flung a 3-year-old toddler from a high-rise in Colaba, the accused was sent to police custody for further investigation.

A Mumbai court sent him to police custody till September 13.

The defence lawyer, however, informed the holiday court that the baby ‘fell off on her own’ and that the accused was being framed in the incident over a dispute with her father.

The accused, Anil Chaukani, a resident of Colaba, was at the residence of his friend Premlal Hathiramani, in the same neighbourhood, when he locked the girl in a room with himself, officials said adding that minutes later there was a loud thud and the baby was found bleeding atop a parked car.

While the prosecution stuck to the details of the investigation that Chaukani threw the girl as he kept himself locked despite being asked to open the door, Chaukani’s lawyer deferred.

“My client is being framed in the case over a dispute with Premlal. The baby fell off herself and this will come to the fore in the further investigation that will follow. Chaukani is innocent,” said Chaukani’s lawyer S. Pandey.

The girl, who landed on the bonnet of a car parked below, was rushed to a hospital in south Mumbai where she succumbed on Saturday night.

“We have secured his custody and are investigating the incident from all angles, including the psychological state of the accused. The baby’s parents will also be questioned to ascertain what pushed him to act irrationally,” said an officer of Colaba police station.

The police are questioning the accused person’s wife.

Chaukani’s parents are based in Africa and he had also been staying outside India till few years back. The police have registered a case of murder and further investigation is underway.