The Kerala High Court took cognizance of the matter on Tuesday, launching suo motu proceedings following the tragic assault and subsequent death of a 2-year-old child at the hands of her father.

Justice Devan Ramachandran expressed profound shock at the occurrence of such an incident within Kerala, highlighting its gravity. He recounted a previous case reported in Thodupuzha a few years ago, noting the disturbing similarity between the two incidents.

"The factum of such an event happening in our state shocks our conscience and certainly must be an eye-opener," the Court said while initiating a suo motu case based on news reports about the incident.

The Court observed that reports indicated prior complaints regarding violent incidents within the child's household, which had apparently not been given due attention by the police despite their seriousness.

Therefore, the Court deemed it appropriate to exercise its parens patriae jurisdiction and initiated a suo motu case to establish a protocol. This protocol aims to enable authorities to intervene proactively before situations escalate to a critical stage.

"When children are involved and they are the victims of any such violence, I am certain that this court is enjoined to act under the parents patriae jurisdiction, not withstanding whether the perpetrator is the father or any other near relative. ''

Consequently, the Registry was directed to procure formal orders from the Chief Justice and schedule the matter for hearing as a suo motu writ petition next week.

As reported by Asianet News, Muhammad Faiz, the father of the two-year-old girl, was arrested last night. It is alleged that the child's relatives were present when Faiz assaulted his daughter.

The mother of the child made allegations against Faiz, claiming that he had beaten and fatally injured their daughter. Allegedly, when Faiz brought the child to the hospital, he stated that she had choked on food the day before.

The report indicates that the cause of death will only be determined following the completion of the post-mortem examination.