A horrific case happened in Firozabad, where a 25-year-old trader is suspected of killing an 18-month-old toddler after the child’s mother repeatedly rejected his marriage proposal. He was arrested by Firozabad police following an alleged exchange of fire just hours after the crime.
Murder for revenge
According to police, the accused, identified as Jitendra Pathak alias Viraj from Badaun district, had been pursuing the child’s mother, Rati Devi, for marriage. Police said the woman turned down his proposal, stating that she already had a child. Investigators later alleged that the accused believed the child was the obstacle preventing the marriage and decided to eliminate him.
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According to a report by the Indian Express, Firozabad Additional Superintendent of Police Ravi Shankar Prasad said that during questioning, the accused confessed that he wanted to marry Rati Devi, but she rejected his proposal, saying she already had a baby. He added that the accused believed that killing the child would clear the way for the marriage.
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— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) May 30, 2026
A woman rejected this monster's proposal, and the beast thrashed her innocent child to death. This incident occurred in #Firozabad, #UttarPradesh.
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Police said Rati Devi married Sumit Kumar of Badaun in February 2024 and later gave birth to their son, Aarav. However, due to marital differences, she had been living with her parents for the past five months. Jitendra, a distant relative of her husband, frequently visited the family and had been assisting her in an ongoing legal dispute with her husband. Police said he had proposed marriage to her on earlier occasions as well, but she consistently rejected the offer.
According to investigators, Rati Devi and her mother, Pinky Devi, travelled to Shikohabad on Saturday to seek legal advice regarding a family dispute. As their appointment with a lawyer was scheduled for the evening, they stayed at the home of Pinky Devi’s friend, Pushpalata, in Yadav Colony.
Brutal killing of the toddler
Police alleged that Viraj tracked their location and reached the house, where he once again urged Rati to divorce her husband and marry him. When both Rati and her mother rejected the proposal, he allegedly lured the 18-month-old toddler out of the house on the pretext of buying him sweets.
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Investigators alleged that he then took the boy to a deserted road and repeatedly slammed him onto the ground, causing fatal injuries. After the child died, he allegedly abandoned the body at the house gate and fled. Nearly 10 minutes later, the family discovered the child's body. Video footage of the incident has since surfaced on social media.
Following the registration of a case at Shikohabad police station, police launched a manhunt. Late Saturday night, officers received information that the accused had been spotted near Bhura Bharthara Road and surrounded the area.
Police said that as officers approached him, the suspect opened fire, prompting them to retaliate in self-defence. The accused sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the encounter, while no police personnel were injured.
Authorities said a country-made pistol and ammunition were recovered from his possession. He was later admitted to the district hospital for treatment, where doctors stated that his condition was stable.
