Kannur: Police took a man into custody on Saturday after a viral video showed him brutally assaulting his eight-year-old daughter.
The footage, widely circulated on social media, depicts the man beating the child and attempting to slam her head against the wall as she cries in fear.
Authorities launched an investigation and identified the suspect as Jose, alias Mamachan, a resident of a rented house in Cherupuzha.
A senior police official confirmed that he was summoned to the local station earlier in the day.
His estranged wife and two children were also called to the station to record their statements, K Vinod Kumar, Deputy SP, Payyannur, said.
"As soon as the video came to our notice yesterday, we contacted the man and the children. But they claimed that it was a prank video," he told a TV channel.
They claimed that it was picturised to bring back their mother, who was staying separated from them.
"But, primary facia, we don't think it is a prank video. Even if it is a prank video, as claimed by them, a video showing brutality to children cannot be taken like this," he said.
Addressing concerns over police inaction, Kumar stated that the children had already been moved to their paternal aunt's house with their consent on Friday.
He further assured that legal proceedings would follow, with a case to be registered after statements from the man, his wife, and the children were recorded.
A local panchayat official, citing residents, informed the media that the family had been living in Cherupuzha for the past two and a half months, during which the man had reportedly been abusing his children.
(inputs from PTI)