GHAZIABAD: An eight-year-old boy, who was found dead in a forest, was allegedly strangled to death by his mother's lover.
The accused, Mahesh Gupta, a 35-year-old who runs a cigarette shop in Nandgram, was apparently upset as the child was averse to the relationship and would often stall his attempts to meet or speak to the woman.
The boy, Akash, had gone out for a spin on his new bicycle, a gift from his mother on his birthday two months ago, on Tuesday evening and gone missing.Police found his body the next morning near the city forest, around 7km from his house.
With scars around the boy's neck indicating murder, cops from Nandgram police station set up teams to scan CCTV footage in and around the areas near the boy's house in Bhatta village and a possible route to the city forest. And, it led to a breakthrough.
Footage showed a man tailing the boy on Tuesday a little past 7 pm. A second clip showed the same man hailing the boy. "The boy was seen stopping and then walking with the man towards a shop," a police officer told TOI.
DCP City Rajesh Singh said the man was identified by Akash's mother as Mahesh. The woman, a widow, told cops that she was in a relationship with Mahesh for the past two years and her son was unhappy about it.
Cops said the accused locked his home and shop and went hiding after committing the crime. He was arrested on Thursday from Raj Nagar Extension after a brief exchange fire that left Mahesh with a gunshot wound in his leg.
"Mahesh told his interrogators that the boy didn't approve of his relationship. He claimed Akash usually answered phone calls and would disconnect his calls claiming his mother was visiting a neighbour or at work. Mahesh claimed a few days ago he went to visit Akash's mother, but the boy told him she had gone to the market with his sister. Mahesh claimed he was angry and decided to kill him," the DCP said.
On Oct 22, Mahesh allegedly tailed the boy from his home. "On the way, he called Akash. Mahesh asked the boy to join him at his shop for a cold drink and chocolate. Akash took the offer, but once the boy entered the shop, Mahesh locked the doors and used a rope to strangle him," an officer said.
Mahesh claimed that around 10pm on Tuesday, he hired an e-rickshaw to the forest area and told the driver his younger brother was unwell. He allegedly put the body on the e-rick — propping it with his arms to make it sit upright — and asked the driver to take them towards the city forest.
"He paid the driver off and took the body deeper into the forest. Later that night, he left the boy's bicycle in RNE," the DCP said. He was arrested under BNS sections 103 (1) (murder) and 238 (a) (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender).