Kolkata, 18 March(H.S.): In a shocking incident, a stepfather has allegedly confessed to the murder of his 10-year-old stepson who had gone missing from the Bidhanpally area under the Medical Outpost police jurisdiction in Siliguri. The incident has triggered panic and outrage in the locality.

The accused has been identified as Uttam Barman, a resident of Sitalkuchi. According to police sources, the boy’s mother, Sabitri Barman, had already suspected her husband’s involvement in the disappearance.

She alleged that the accused had come to their house last Thursday on the pretext of collecting a charger and took the child along with him. The boy had been missing since then. Based on the mother’s complaint, police arrested the accused on Sunday.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly told police that he did not like the child and had already planned to eliminate him. He reportedly took the boy with him on the day of the incident and threw him into the Gajoldoba canal.

The court initially sent the accused to judicial custody and later to police custody, during which sustained interrogation led to the revelation of the crime. Police teams have been searching the Gajoldoba canal since Wednesday morning to recover the child’s body.

The incident has once again raised serious concerns about domestic violence and the safety of children.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh