An eight-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped and killed by his cousin here for a ransom of Rs 10 lakh, police said on Monday.
The 23-year-old accused was arrested after an encounter, they said.
According to police, the victim was lured by his cousin on Sunday night with the promise of buying a pizza.
The accused then allegedly took him to a nearby forest, demanded ransom from the family and when the demand was not fulfilled, slit the boy's throat with a blade, police said.
The child's family said that the accused cousin also attempted to sexually assault the boy. When the boy resisted, he killed him and later made a WhatsApp call to the victim's father demanding money.
He then dumped the body in a field and fled, police added.
Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said the accused was traced through his mobile number. During interrogation he confessed, but tried to attack police while attempting to escape. In retaliatory firing, he sustained injuries in his legs and later arrested.
The accused has been booked under the Gangsters Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other serious charges. Probe is underway to determine if others were involved, the officer added.
The boy's body has been sent for post-mortem and the news of his death has triggered outrage in his village, with residents demanding strict punishment for the culprit.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
