Police arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly strangling to death the three-year-old son of a woman after she refused his proposal to marry him, officials said on Thursday.
The incident occurred in Karegaon village in Shirur taluka on the evening of June 17. The accused is identified Devanshu Aditya Sahu.
According to the police, the minor’s mother, Rani Pappu Kaul, a native of Madhya Pradesh, had come to the Ranjangaon MIDC area for work and was living in Karegaon with her son and Sahu. The child was from her previous marriage.
Pune rural superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill said Sahu informed the woman’s workplace on June 17 that her son had died.
“Rani had gone to work when the incident occurred. Around 6 pm, Sahu called her company and informed them that the child was no more. The complainant approached the police. Preliminary findings indicated that the child died due to strangulation. A technical investigation was carried out, following which the accused was arrested late Wednesday night and produced before a court on Thursday,” Gill said.
Police said the child was alone in the room at the time of the incident.
Investigators said Sahu had been pressuring the woman to marry him, but she had declined due to personal reasons and concerns about her son’s future. Tensions between the two had reportedly been escalating over the issue.
An argument broke out between them on June 17 over the marriage proposal. Following the dispute, Sahu allegedly strangled the child to death.
A case has been registered at the Ranjangaon MIDC police station and further investigation is underway.
