Seven-year-old boy killed in Delhi by IAS aspirant

An IAS aspirant from Delhi's Swaroop Nagar allegedly murdered a boy and stuffed his body in a suitcase as he couldn't get rid of the boy due to increased police patrolling in the area.

The accused has been identified as 27-year-old Avdesh Sakya. The civil service aspirant kept the boy's body inside a suitcase for over a month.  The boy had been missing since January 7 and a complaint was lodged in this regard. Police officials even announced a reward of Rs 1.25 lakhs for information about the victim.

Sakya had known the boy for over three years, as he was a former tenant at the deceased boy’s house. A few months ago he shifted to a new house in the same locality, but continued to visit Karan Saini, the boy’s father. Saini was reportedly not too happy with Shakya meeting his son.

According to the police, the boy went to Sakya’s house on January 7 to get a bicycle that was promised to him. “He told the accused that his father had asked him to stay away from him. Sakya grew angry and allegedly smothered the child with a muffler. He then stuffed the body in a suitcase,” the officer said.

The matter came to light when neighbours started noticing foul smell emanating from the  house where Sakya was staying on rent. When confronted, the accused said it was a dead rat.

Sakya told the police he had planned to ask for ransom of at least ₹15 lakh after disposing of the body.

The deceased boy's parents did not suspect Sakya as they believed he was the one spearheading the search for the boy. The boy's grandfather Lal Saini told The Hindu he trusted the accused. “I used to take his help and advice for every little thing. We used to trust him because we thought he was educated and was preparing for UPSC. He also said that he was joining the CBI on February 12,” said Saini.

Of late, there has been an increase in crimes committed against children in Delhi. According to a 2017 survey, Delhi tops the crime chart among 19 major cities.