NEW DELHI – A woman has allegedly strangled her nine-month old nephew to death at a park near her home in Mukherjee Nagar, north Delhi, on Friday.
The boy was pronounced dead after members of the public rushed him to hospital when they noticed what had happened.
According to weekly Indian English-language news magazine India Today, police received an emergency call at about 1.30pm regarding the killing of a toddler at a park in the area.
The caller said a 30-year-old woman, identified as Azra, reportedly strangled the child before members of the public intervened.
Witnesses also claimed that the woman was seen holding and cradling the child’s body on her lap after the incident until onlookers stepped in and removed the victim.
A local resident later took the child to a nearby private hospital, but doctors confirmed he was already dead upon arrival.
The victim was identified as Hadi, the son of Adil from Old Seelampur, who had come with his mother, Uzma, to visit her family home in Mukherjee Nagar.
The victim’s uncle later contacted the police to report the incident.
Police said the woman was found unconscious at the scene and taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital for medical checks before being taken into custody.
Witnesses at the park said a gardener saw the woman allegedly strangling the child and shouted for help, prompting a crowd to gather and rescue the child from her.
The child’s body was sent to the same hospital for a post-mortem examination, while police opened an investigation to determine the motive.
A senior police officer said the motive remained unclear, although the woman’s family claimed she had psychological issues.
Police also requested family members to submit the woman’s medical records to assist the investigation and said she would be questioned after being medically cleared, as further inquiries continued.