Kochi: A three-year-old boy, who suffered severe head injury after being allegedly subjected to torture by his mother, died at a private hospital in Aluva in Kerala on Friday morning.

The doctors who were treating the boy said that a brain injury, which is reportedly caused after being hit with a wooden object could be the reason for the child's death. The doctors further said that the real cause of death could be ascertained only after the post mortem.

According to police reports, which were released on Thursday, said that the toddler had slipped into coma after being allegedly subjected to torture by his mother for being "disobedient". The boy suffered a severe brain injury and had to undergo surgery at the private hospital.

The mother, who hailed from Jharkhand, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the incident. The police officials charged her under IPC Section 302 (murder).

Earlier, she was charged under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act (punishment for cruelty to child).

Police said the woman had allegedly beaten up the child and tortured him as he was disobedient.

The shocking incident came to light when the boy's father brought him to the hospital on Wednesday night (April 17) saying he had injured himself by falling off a desk. Suspecting foul play, the doctors informed the police officials.

After the investigation, the police officials said that the boy was beaten with a wooden object and several burn injuries were seen on parts of his body and had also suffered a severe head injury.

As the right side of the brain was severely damaged, the Kerala government also extended its support to bear all the expenses of the child's treatment and had also sent a team of experts from the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam for providing better medical care to the child.

A Kerala Police team left for Jharkhand on Friday to collect further details about the child's family. They also wanted to know if the father and mother were his biological parents.