UP man kills toddler in a bid to marry his mother, says police

A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was allegedly killed in a brutal attack in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad by a man who was in love with the child's mother and considered the toddler an obstacle to their relationship and marriage, police said.

The victim, Aarav, also known as Kallu, was allegedly repeatedly slammed by Viraj onto the ground.

A disturbing CCTV video of the incident has surfaced, showing the accused carrying the toddler through a deserted lane near a relative's house before allegedly throwing him onto the ground multiple times. The child is seen lying motionless after the assault.

The injured toddler was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

According to police, Aarav was the son of Rati and her husband, Sumit. Investigators said Viraj was allegedly in a relationship with Rati and wanted to marry her. Family members have claimed that he saw the child as a hurdle to their future together.

Police said Rati had visited her aunt's house on May 29 after coming from her parental home. Viraj allegedly learnt about her visit and arrived at the house. He is accused of taking Aarav with him on the pretext of buying him a toffee before attacking the child on a nearby road, leaving him critically injured.

The family rushed the toddler to hospital after learning about the incident, but doctors were unable to save him.

Police reached the spot, took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. The accused fled after the attack and remains absconding. A search operation has been launched, and barricades have been set up at multiple locations to track down the accused.