Bhopal: A two-year-old boy’s father allegedly killed his mother and abandoned him in a remote area of Madhya Pradesh where he walked naked and barefoot alone in a forest teeming with wildlife for nearly 20 hours.The shocking story of survival ended with police finding the weak and dehydrated toddler in a remote area along the Vidisha-Raison border early on Sunday after arresting his father. The baby, hungry and thirsty, grabbed food and water provided by police before being taken to a hospital and stabilized.“It’s a miracle that he survived,” said Begumganj Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sonali Gupta, where rescuers found the child, nearly 2 kilometers from where he was abandoned.Police said the horrific incident started on Saturday noon when the father of the child, a 25-year-old man from a village in Hydegarh area of Vidisha district, allegedly smashed his wife’s head with a stone. Their son was with them at the time.After the murder, the man took his child on a motorcycle and rode about 2 kilometers into the Begumganj area in the adjacent Raisen district. He dumped the child near a stream behind a temple in a dense forest, ditched his motorcycle and ran away. Police said the area is known for wildlife activity, making survival a challenge even for adults.The accused was arrested after the woman’s body was found. According to police, the man tried to deceive investigators during the first few rounds of questioning and did not even mention that he had abandoned his son. This delayed rescue efforts.Later, as police expanded their investigation and made contact with other family members, they learned about the missing toddler. By then, night had fallen and multiple teams formed and began searching. Police teams spent the night scouring bushland, farms, bodies of water and remote areas, using torches and local supplies to track the children’s whereabouts.“We were constantly searching the area. Around 8.30 am on Sunday, we heard faint noises and found the child walking,” SDPO Gupta said. Investigators suspect the child had been walking throughout the night. Investigators said the area where the children were abandoned has uneven terrain, dense vegetation and poor visibility at night, increasing the risk of injury, exposure and animal encounters. It seems that no danger can stop this brave boy from fighting for his life and becoming the only witness to his mother’s murder.