Gurshan 'knocked out by opening door'

The father of the man accused of killing Indian toddler, Gurshan Singh, has claimed the death was an "innocent mistake".

Gursewak Dhillon, 23, has been charged with criminal negligence and manslaughter over the death of the three-year-old, who was found on a roadside in Melbourne last Thursday.

Police allege the part-time taxi driver put the unconscious child in the boot of his car and drove him around for at least three hours before dumping him.

The father of the accused, Pragat Singh Dhillon, has told the Indian media that his son detailed the death in a telephone conversation three days ago.

"Gursewak told me that as he opened the main door to his residence in Melbourne, which he shared with 12 others, including parents of Gurshan, he hit the boy. He said he could not see from outside that Gurshan was standing next to the door, and the child got hit and fell unconscious," he told the Indian Express newspaper.

Gursewak reportedly told his father he shook Gurshan to try to wake him up, but the child didn't respond.

"He then called out to Gurshan's mother, who was taking a bath, and his own wife, Simrat Kaur, who was in the kitchen at the time, but both couldn't hear his calls. He then put the child in his car to take him to hospital," he told the Indian Express.

"He then put the child in his car to take him to hospital."

When his car had run out of petrol, the accused reportedly dumped the body out of fear of being charged with murder.

The case has been adjourned till June 29, with the prosecution seeking extra time to prepare evidence against Gursewak.

He has been remanded in custody amid concerns that he posed an unacceptable flight risk and could also tamper with witnesses in the case.

Although Gursewak lived in the same house as Gurshan, he is not a relative.