Shikohabad, Firozabad
Report : Alok Semwal
a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking incident that has sent shockwaves through the region, a young man allegedly took the life of an innocent 18-month-old boy in Yadav Colony on Saturday an act of cold-blooded vengeance born out of obsession and rejection. CCTV footage of the incident has since spread widely, intensifying public outrage.
The victim, a toddler named Aarav, was the son of a young woman named Rati, who had been living separately from her husband due to ongoing domestic disputes. The accused, identified as Viraj Pathak a resident of Shekhupura, Badaun, and a distant relative through marriage had reportedly been relentlessly pressuring Rati to marry him. When she firmly refused his advances, he allegedly devised a chilling plan of retribution.
A Calculated Betrayal of Innocence
On the day of the incident, Rati had traveled to Shikohabad alongside her maternal grandfather, Rajendra Singh, to visit her mother Pinki Devi, who had come to meet a friend named Pushpa at her residence in Yadav Colony. What should have been an ordinary family visit turned tragic when Viraj Pathak appeared at the location uninvited.
Exploiting the trust placed in him as a family acquaintance, Pathak allegedly lured little Aarav away from the safety of the home under the innocent guise of buying him chocolate. Once out of sight in a nearby alley, he allegedly hurled the child headfirst onto the ground with brutal force, inflicting fatal injuries. He then fled the scene immediately, leaving the toddler bleeding and unconscious.
A Life Lost, A Family Shattered
Passersby discovered the critically injured child moments later and rushed him to the nearest hospital. Despite urgent medical attention, the attending physicians declared Aarav dead on arrival. He was just eighteen months old.
The news of her son’s death left his mother Rati utterly inconsolable. Witnesses described her as completely distraught collapsing in grief at the hospital and at the scene of the crime. The entire family has been plunged into profound sorrow, and the surrounding community is gripped by both mourning and fury.
Police Response and Investigation
Law enforcement arrived swiftly at the scene following the report of the incident. The body was formally taken into custody and dispatched to a government medical college for a post-mortem examination. A formal case has been registered against the accused, and multiple specialized police teams have been deployed to track down Viraj Pathak, conducting raids at all known and suspected locations.
Inspector-in-Charge Anuj Kumar confirmed the details of the case, stating:
“Preliminary investigations strongly indicate that the accused committed this heinous act as a consequence of his unrequited obsession. All necessary legal procedures are underway, and we are confident that the accused will be apprehended at the earliest.”
This case serves as yet another grim reminder of the devastating consequences of harassment, obsession, and the failure to accept rejection and the urgent need for stronger protective measures for vulnerable individuals facing such threats.
