Police have identified the attacker, dressed as a seer, as 52-year-old Om Prakash. The motive behind the attack is not known yet.
According to reports, the accused was performing Saptkosi Yatra.
The father of the child runs a general store along the yatra route.
The police said Omprakash picked up the minor and threw him on the ground several times for reasons unknown.
Enraged over the incident, the locals caught the accused and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.
“The motive behind the incident will be clear after the questioning of the seer, once his condition stabilises in hospital,” Superintendent of Police (Rural) Trigun Bisen said.