A tragic incident unfolded in Firozabad's Yadav Colony on Saturday, where a two-year-old boy, Aarav, was allegedly killed by a 24-year-old man after the child's mother rejected his marriage proposal. The accused, identified as Jitendra Pathak alias Viraj, was later arrested following an exchange of fire with police.
Background of the Incident
The toddler lived with his mother, Rati Devi, 24, a teacher in the Araon area. She had been staying at her parental home after separating from her husband due to marital disputes. On Saturday, Rati and her mother, Pinki Devi, traveled to Shikohabad to seek legal advice on divorce proceedings. Since their appointment with an advocate was scheduled for the evening, they were staying at the house of Pinki's friend.
According to a Firozabad police official, the accused, who runs a grocery shop in Budaun district and is a cousin of Rati's husband, had developed close ties with her family while assisting them with the divorce proceedings. During this time, he allegedly proposed marriage to Rati, but she repeatedly turned him down.
The Crime
Police stated that Viraj followed them to Shikohabad and again pressured Rati to finalize the divorce and marry him. When Rati and her mother refused, he allegedly took Aarav outside on the pretext of buying him a toffee. Around 2:30 PM, he allegedly took the child to a deserted stretch nearly 50 meters from the house and threw him on the ground repeatedly. CCTV footage reviewed by police allegedly showed him throwing the child on the road at least eight times. Officials said the accused later left the child outside the house and fled, while family members found Aarav near the gate about 10 minutes later.
Police Investigation and Arrest
Senior police officers reached the spot and launched an investigation. The body was sent for postmortem. Investigators said the accused saw the child as an obstacle to his desire to marry Rati. An FIR was registered at Shikohabad police station under BNS section 103(1), murder.
SP (City) Ravi Shanker Prasad said four teams were formed to arrest the accused soon after the case was reported. “Acting on a tip-off that the accused was attempting to evade arrest near Mainpuri Road, a police team laid a cordon in the area. When officers tried to stop and question him, he opened fire on the police. Police returned fire and the accused sustained a gunshot injury to his leg before being arrested. He was shifted to the district hospital for treatment. Investigation in the murder case is continuing,” he said.
