Hit with stones and sticks by stepfather,  12-year-old dies in Northeast Delhi

According to the police, the boy’s mother married the accused — an e-rickshaw driver —in 2020 after the death of her husband.  “She has four children. After marrying the accused, they started to have marital issues and frequent arguments,” an officer said.

Five days before the incident, an officer said, the mother of the deceased had left the house to live with her sister following another argument with her husband.

“The accused repeatedly called his wife and insisted on her return, but she declined. On Thursday, the accused picked both his stepsons from their school in his e-rickshaw and took them near a forest area,” an officer said.

The accused then allegedly asked his 15-year-old stepson to wait in the e-rickshaw and took the 12-year-old boy inside the forest. He then allegedly killed the boy after repeated assaulting him using stones and sticks, police said.

An  officer said that in a purported video, which the accused allegedly sent to his wife, he is heard saying: “Le ja apne bacche ko (Take your child away).”

Police said they are still verifying the authenticity of the video.

Police said the boy was taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital for treatment, where he was declared dead.

A case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Shastri Park police station.

Officers said multiple teams have been formed to identify and trace the accused involved in the crime.

Following the incident, the forensic team was called to the spot and the scene of crime was inspected.

Evidence was collected to establish the sequence of events leading to the boy’s death, officers said.

Further investigation is underway, police added.