Delhi: A five-year-old boy was brutally murdered in Delhi’s Narela area on Tuesday, allegedly by a driver employed in his father’s transport business. Police suspect the killing was an act of revenge following a workplace altercation.

The child’s body was discovered in the rented accommodation of the accused, identified as Nitu, who is currently absconding. Multiple teams have been formed to trace and arrest him. “Technical surveillance and local intelligence are being used to locate the accused. We are also checking CCTV footage to trace the accused,” a police official confirmed.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami stated that a call reporting the child’s kidnapping was received at 3.30 pm at the Narela Industrial Area police station. “During the inquiry, it was revealed that the child was playing outside his house when he suddenly went missing,” the officer said.

Family members and neighbours began searching for the boy, eventually locating his body in Nitu’s nearby rented room. He had reportedly been killed using bricks and a knife.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the boy's father, the complainant, owned seven to eight transport vehicles and had employed two drivers — Nitu and Wasim,” said the DCP. “On Monday evening, both drivers had an argument under the influence of alcohol, during which Nitu allegedly beat Wasim.”

The incident was reported to the boy’s father, who intervened and reprimanded Nitu. “He slapped Nitu two to four times for misbehaving,” police said. Feeling humiliated, the accused allegedly abducted the child the following day while he was playing outside, took him to his residence, and murdered him.

Police rushed the child to a nearby hospital after discovering the body, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, and an investigation is ongoing.

PTI