Auto Driver Poses As Father, Kidnaps Toddler And Strangles Him To Death

An auto driver has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a one-year-old boy from a creche by posing as his father and later strangling him to death in Haryana's Panchkula, police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Ajay, allegedly befriended the child's mother on Instagram six months ago, they added.

According to the police, Ajay confessed to having a dislike for the woman's child and thought of eliminating him. Ajay met the woman on a few occasions and felt that he could not meet her freely because of her son.

Subsequently, Ajay, a resident of Pinjore, kidnapped the infant from a creche in Panchkula on Saturday, posing as the toddler's father.

The child's body was recovered on Saturday evening from a culvert near the Sukhomajri bypass, where Ajay had dumped the corpse after stuffing it into a bag, the police said.

After kidnapping the child, Ajay took him in his autorickshaw and strangled him using a cloth that he used to clean his auto with, they said.

Ajay was arrested on Saturday, Panchkula Station House Officer (SHO), Inspector Hari Ram, informed over the phone.

A murder case has been registered under the relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Ajay has been sent to a four-day police remand, he added.

"The boy went missing on Saturday morning after his mother dropped him at the creche. Within minutes, the accused, posing as the child's father, took him away. Later on, the child's biological father said he had been kidnapped by someone," the SHO said.

Later, the police caught Ajay, and during questioning, he revealed the motive behind the crime and confessed, police said, adding that Ajay had shared the location of where he disposed of the child's body after murdering him.

When asked if the child's mother is also being treated as a suspect, the SHO said investigations are underway, and we have not ruled out anything at this stage.

Police are also probing whether there was negligence on the part of the creche authorities in handing over the child without verifying the credentials of the person who took him away, they said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)