10-Month-Old Smothered To Death By Man Who Wanted To 'Teach Her Family A Lesson'

A man in India kidnapped a 10-month-old girl while her parents were asleep and then smothered her to death to teach her family a lesson.

The accused, identified as Raju Ravat, had a long-standing feud with the infant’s father. The girl lived with her parents on a pavement in Mumbai and the accused lived close by, She The People reported.

After the family fell asleep Friday night, the accused kidnapped the girl. Upon realizing that the infant was missing, her parents filed a police complaint.

Following a search, the body of the baby girl was found in some bushes Saturday morning. Police later confirmed she was smothered to death. Primary medical examination, however, ruled out sexual assault.

A search was launched for Ravat, who was taken into custody Saturday after police received a tip-off. He confessed to the crime and said he killed the child out of spite.

"The victim’s father and Ravat has been at loggerheads. Ravat decided to teach the family a lesson. He kidnapped and murdered the child out of spite," police said, local daily The Times of India reported.

The accused, who worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant, has been charged with murder. The reason behind the dispute and details regarding his bail plea were not known.

A similar incident was reported in 2019, where a man in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu killed his 10-month-old granddaughter to exact revenge on his son and daughter-in-law. The accused left home with the infant and when he failed to return, the girl’s father filed a police complaint. The grandfather was detained for questioning, during which he confessed to murdering the child using a stone and disposed of her body behind a bakery.