A man in India has been arrested for thrashing his 21-year-old cousin to death for delay in feeding his pet dog.

The brutal incident came to light after the victim, identified as Arshad from Palakkad, a town in the southern Indian state of Kerala, was brought to a hospital with multiple injuries last Friday.

The 27-year-old suspect, Hakeem, who was staying in a rented house with the victim, initially claimed Arshad sustained severe injuries after falling from the roof of their house. The medics, however, grew suspicious about Hakeem's story and informed cops, news outlet On Manorma reported.

Arshad, who had more than 100 injury marks on his body, succumbed to death later that day.

"Doctors were sure that the victim was brutally beaten up as it was evident by the marks on his body...Broken ribs and internal bleeding were the cause of his death," police said, reported NDTV.

Cops took Hakeem into custody for questioning and arrested him on Saturday.

Investigators determined that Hakeem, who used to regularly beat Arshad, started assaulting him after an argument with him last Friday. Hakeem was reportedly furious over the delay in feeding his pet dog and thrashed the victim using a dog belt and a wooden stick. After Arshad fell on the floor, the suspect kicked on his back, causing rib fractures, police said.

"Arshad was beaten up with a dog belt and a wooden stick. The injured was taken to hospital by Hakeem along with his friends stating his cousin was fallen from the roof of his house where they both stayed," police said.

Police car and police line
Representation. A police car at a crime scene. Alexei_other/Pixabay

In an unrelated incident, a pregnant woman in Chicago was arrested for fatally stabbing her boyfriend last month after an argument with him just hours after her baby shower. The suspect, 33-year-old Keshia Golden, killed Calvin Sidney after arguing over who would use the microwave to heat the leftovers, reports said. Golden was reportedly a victim of repeated domestic violence. Before the fatal incident, cops were called to the couple's residence multiple times after Signey allegedly choked, punched, slapped or pushed her.