Four held for murdering two children in Meerut

The police on Wednesday arrested four persons for allegedly murdering two children of a 37-year-old woman by throwing them into a canal near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The bodies of the children, who were reported missing since February 27, were recovered early Wednesday, the police said. The woman was also allegedly pushed into the canal but rescued by locals.

The police said that the main suspect, identified as 33-year-old Sonu Yadav, the woman’s live-in partner, decided to throw them in the canal due to domestic problems.

Hitesh Yadav, the assistant commissioner of police (Manesar), said that the incident took place on February 27 after a scuffle broke out between the couple. Yadav is alleged to have forcefully taken the woman and her kids, along with his family members in a car. “They threw them in running water and returned to Gurugram the following day. The woman survived after locals rescued her but despite attempts, they could not rescue the children. The woman approached us and filed a complaint following which four teams were formed and sent to different locations,” he said.

According to the police, Yadav had started living with the woman after her husband’s death two years ago. They were having problems as Yadav was not fond of the children, aged 2 and 6 years, whereas the woman was pressurising him to marry her and ensure her financial security, the police said. The woman also threatened to implicate Yadav in a fake rape case, it has been alleged.

The suspects were identified as Sonu Yadav (33), his brother Pradeep Kumar (33), cousin Sachin Kumar (22), and his mother Ravita Devi (55). The police said Yadav worked as a pizza delivery guy and lived in Bhangrola village along with the woman and his parents.

“The teams spent more than eight hours a day in the canal for three days after we received the complaint. On Wednesday early morning, the water level was controlled and we managed to recover the bodies and conducted raids to arrest the suspects,” said ACP Yadav.

A case under sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Kherki Daula police station.

“Gurugram police had brought Yadav to Meerut who showed them the spot where he had thrown kids in the Upper Ganga Canal. Soon after, divers were deployed and the girl’s body was fished out from Jani while the boy’s body was recovered in Modinagar of Ghaziabad,” said Keshav Kumar, superintendent of police (Rural), Meerut.