Teen boy detained for killing 4-month-old son of lover in Gujarat, passing it off as accident

VALSAD: A 15-year-old boy was detained for allegedly murdering the child of the woman he was in love with in Gujarat's Valsad district, a police official said on Saturday.

The teen was held after the police exhumed the body of the 4-month-old child on the complaint of the married woman identified as Muskan Asgarali, the official said.

"Asgarali, a resident of Umargam here and hailing from Uttar Pradesh, told police he had killed the infant on January 13 and lied about it being an accident. She had gone to the market when the incident took place. The accused told her the child fell from the bed and had suffered head injuries," the official said.

"The child was declared dead at a nearby hospital and was buried in Umargam cemetery. The accused left the place on January 14, which made the woman suspicious. Following her complaint on January 15, the child's body was exhumed in the presence of the sub-divisional magistrate. As per the post mortem report, the child suffered grievous head injuries," he said.

An accidental death case was registered and police teams were sent to Haryana, Delhi as well as Agra and Prayagraj in UP, the official said.

"The 15-year-old accused was detained from Prayagraj and brought to Valsad. He confessed to killing the child since his family was unwilling to accept his marriage with the woman. They were opposed to him marrying a woman who had a child from a previous marriage," the official informed.

The teen has been charged with murder, concealment of evidence and other offences under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and was produced in a juvenile court, as per police.