Stepfather arrested for alleged murder of 11-year-old boy in Bishnah

JAMMU, Aug. 6: An 11-year-old boy was allegedly killed by his stepfather in Bishnah area of Jammu district, with police arresting the accused after recovering the child’s body from a bush-covered area in Palli village on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Ravi Kumar, a mason, is alleged to have attacked his stepson, Rohit Kumar, with a brick before disposing of the body in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Police said the accused was taken into custody after the investigation led to his alleged confession. Acting on information provided during questioning, investigators recovered the boy’s body from the Palli area.
Inspector Deepak Thakur, SHO Bishnah Police Station, said a case has been registered under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances leading to the crime.
During interaction with the media while in police custody, the accused alleged that he committed the murder because of strained relations with his wife, claiming he wanted to take revenge against her. He also alleged that Rohit was the son of his wife’s previous marriage.
The victim’s mother, Kanta Devi, who works at a pencil manufacturing unit in the Bari Brahmana industrial area and belongs to Doda district, said she was on duty when the incident occurred. According to her, Ravi Kumar came home on Wednesday evening and took Rohit with him, saying he was taking the child for a ride.
When the boy did not return till late in the evening, the family approached the police and lodged a missing report.
Kanta Devi alleged that the police failed to respond with urgency despite being informed about the child’s disappearance. She claimed that timely action could have prevented the tragedy.
Police have not officially responded to the allegations regarding the handling of the missing person complaint. Investigators are continuing to collect evidence and record statements as part of the ongoing probe.