A tragic incident unfolded in Outer North Delhi’s Narela area on Tuesday as a five-year-old boy, who had gone missing earlier in the day, was found dead inside a locked room. The accused is believed to be a 26-year-old driver employed by the boy’s father. Police suspect the brutal killing was driven by revenge.

The chilling discovery came after the family raised an alarm when the child vanished while playing outside his home. A neighbour reportedly told the family that the boy was last seen with a driver named Nitu, who lived nearby. His room was found locked, and the child was visible through the window motionless and bleeding.

Police broke open the door and found the boy lying unconscious with injuries to his head and neck. A brick and a knife were recovered from the scene. The child was rushed to a government hospital but was declared dead.

“The lock was broken and the boy was found lying unconscious and bleeding from his head and neck. A knife and a brick were found at the scene. The boy was rushed to a nearby government hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. A case of kidnapping and murder was registered and multiple teams were formed to arrest the suspect,” DCP (Outer North) Hareshwar V Swami, PTI reported.

Suspect Allegedly Sought Revenge After Being Scolded

Police investigations revealed a motive rooted in personal animosity. The child’s father, a transporter by profession, owns seven to eight goods-carrying vehicles and employed the suspect, Nitu, as one of his drivers. Just a day before the incident, Nitu reportedly assaulted another driver, Wasim, during a drunken altercation.

When the matter reached the employer, he reprimanded Nitu severely. “When Wasim told the businessman about the incident, he reprimanded Neetu, slapping him several times and scolding him for his behaviour,” said a police officer.

Angered by this humiliation, Nitu allegedly lured the boy into his room the following day while he was unsupervised outside his home. He then attacked the child, first striking his head with a brick and then stabbing him in the neck.

“Angered by the humiliation, Nitu on Tuesday afternoon lured his employer’s son to his rented room while the boy was playing outside his house. Nitu killed the boy by hitting his head with a brick and stabbing him in his neck with a knife. Thereafter, he locked the room from outside and fled,” DCP Hareshwar Swami, PTI reported.

Murder Case Registered; Accused Still at Large

The police received the initial call around 3:30 PM reporting the child’s disappearance. After discovering the body, a case under kidnapping and murder sections was registered at the Narela police station. Forensic teams inspected the crime scene, and CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed.

“Nitu is from Madhubani district in Bihar from where his employer also hails. We have sent a team to his home town to nab him,” DCP Swami said.

Multiple teams have been deployed to apprehend the suspect, who remains on the run. Law enforcement officials are using local intelligence and technical tracking to trace his whereabouts.

Community in Shock Over Heinous Crime

Residents of the area expressed horror over the gruesome nature of the crime, especially given the close connection between the victim’s family and the accused. Police have urged anyone with information about the suspect’s location to come forward as the search continues.