A 10-year-old boy has been beaten to death by his father in Ghaziabad because he suspected that the child had stolen Rs 500 from the house. 

The boy's neighbours said 10-year-old Aad lived in Ghaziabad's Tyodi village with his father Naushad and stepmother Razia, both of whom would frequently thrash him for mistakes, real or imagined. On Saturday morning, the couple could not locate Rs 500 kept in the house and suspected that Aad had stolen the money. 

Naushad began beating Aad with a 'phukni', (a blowpipe, usually made of metal, used to keep coal-based stoves lit). He was allegedly hit several times on the body and then dealt a blow to the head, which proved fatal. 

Naushad and Razia have been taken into custody.

A resident of the area, Rahat Ali, said, "Naushad would beat up his son regularly. Today, he thrashed him because Rs 500 went missing from the house, and the boy died. The man had made beating the child a habit."

Ghaziabad Assistant Commissioner of Police Gyan Prakash Rai said that a police complaint was filed by Aad's grandparents. 

"We have been told that the couple would beat up the son frequently and a blowpipe was used in Saturday's assault. Naushad and Razia have been taken into custody and further investigation is on," he said. 

(With inputs from Pintu Tomar)