Man kills 6-year-old for 'passing lewd remarks at his wife'

New Delhi: A 19-year-old man was on Friday arrested for allegedly kidnapping and killing a six-year-old boy in southeast Delhi, police said. The boy had gone missing from a slum in Okhla Phase II on September 27, a senior police officer said.

Rohit allegedly killed the boy on Wednesday, Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said. Rohit went into hiding and switched off his phone, police said. The accused lived a few meters away from the boy's home.

He his the boy's body in a box bed. He later stuffed it in a sack, which was found near the boy's house this morning. Some locals informed police on noticing the strong stench.

On finding "Rukmani" written on the sack, a shopkeeper in the area told police that Rukmani's son Rohit had purchased flour from him in that bag, Baaniya said.

During questioning, Rohit initially tried to mislead police. He told them the boy would peep into his bathroom and pass lewd remarks at his wife. He said the boy's father had also abused him once in front of his wife.

Later, during sustained interrogation, Rohit told police he had kidnapped the boy to extort Rs 20,000 from his father to repay a loan, said the DCP. He killed the boy fearing he would recognise him, the officer said.

Asked if he sexually assaulted the boy, Rohit replied in the negative, police said.

Police are awaiting the post-mortem report, said the DCP.