In Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, a man has been arrested after a shocking incident where he allegedly murdered a toddler because the child's mother refused his marriage proposal, sparking outrage and a police investigation.
Key Points
- A man in Firozabad was arrested for allegedly murdering a toddler after the child's mother rejected his marriage proposal.
- The accused, Viraj alias Jitendra Pathak, was apprehended following a police encounter and sustained injuries to both legs.
- CCTV footage showed the accused repeatedly slamming the 18-month-old child onto the ground.
- The child's mother had been living at her parental home due to marital issues and had rejected the accused's proposal.
- Police recovered a firearm and cartridges from the accused, and legal proceedings are underway.
A man accused of killing his one-and-a-half-year-old relative by repeatedly knocking him onto the ground after the child's mother rejected his marriage proposal was arrested after a police encounter here, officials said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Viraj alias Jitendra Pathak, was injured on both legs during the encounter and has been admitted to a district hospital, they said.
Details of the Crime
The crime took place on Saturday afternoon in Yadav Colony under the Shikohabad police station limits. A CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral late on Saturday, showed Viraj repeatedly hurling 18-month-old Aarav onto the road.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ravi Shankar Prasad said four police teams were formed on Sunday to trace the accused, who fled after committing the crime.
He was arrested late on Sunday night.
Motive Behind the Murder
Shikohabad Station House Officer Anuj Kumar said the child's mother Rati Devi, a native of Araon area, married Sumit Kumar of Budaun in February 2024. Owing to marital discord, she had been living at her parental home for the last five months.
During this period, Viraj, her husband's cousin from the Shekhupur area of Budaun, allegedly proposed to marry her, which she rejected.
On Saturday, Rati had come to Shikohabad with her mother Pinki Devi and son Aarav to seek legal advice regarding her marital issues.
According to the complaint lodged with the police, Viraj also reached Shikohabad and took the child along on the pretext of buying him chocolates. However, the accused then repeatedly slammed the child onto the ground, causing his death. He then threw the child's body into a drain and fled the spot.
Rati alleged in her complaint that Viraj had been pressuring her to marry him and committed the crime after she refused his proposal.
The Arrest
ASP Ravi Shankar said police received information on Sunday about the accused's movement near Bhuda-Bharthara village in the Shikohabad area.
"When police attempted to surround him, he opened fire. In retaliatory action, he was hit on both legs and arrested," Prasad said.
Police said a firearm and cartridges were recovered from the accused's possession, and further legal proceedings are underway.
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