Firozabad: A district court in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad has sentenced Viraj alias Jitendra Pathak to death for the brutal murder of 18-month-old Aarav, describing the crime as falling under the “rarest of rare” category. The verdict came just 40 days after the incident, making it one of the fastest murder trials in the state.
According to the prosecution, Viraj wanted to marry the toddler’s mother. After she rejected his proposal, he allegedly viewed the child as an obstacle and, on May 30, lured the boy away on the pretext of buying him a toffee before repeatedly smashing him onto a concrete road. The child later died from his injuries. CCTV footage of the incident had sparked nationwide outrage.
The police completed the investigation within six days and filed the chargesheet promptly. During the trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses and presented CCTV footage and other evidence, leading to the accused’s conviction.
District and Sessions Judge Dr Babbu Sarang held that the extreme brutality of the murder warranted capital punishment and awarded the death sentence. As per law, the sentence will now require confirmation from the Allahabad High Court before it can be carried out.
