A man from Kalwa in Thane was arrested on Friday for allegedly beating to death his 10-year-old son after accusing him of stealing Rs 50 from home, police said. Police were alerted by residents of Waghoba Nagar slum on Thursday evening that Sandeep Bablu Omprakash Prajapati, 41, had beaten his son, who was lying motionless on the floor, a police officer said.

“A police team rushed the child to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. His sister told us the child was hit by the father. We also found out tht he had hit his son for allegedly stealing,” he said. An officer from Kalwa police station said Prajapati has been charged with murder, while inquiries are on with the deceased’s mother, who was not at home when the incident took place.