Man kills toddler in act of revenge

The case of a missing toddler has ended in tragedy as police investigation has uncovered that the baby was killed allegedly by a neighbour in an act of revenge against the toddler’s parents.

Shamavelu, two and a half years old, was the son of Abhirami and Kumarasan, who hailed from Tamil Nadu and worked as labourers in the city. He went missing in the afternoon of September 30, and was last seen playing in front of a house in Bheemanna Gardens, Ashok Nagar. The parents lodged a missing complaint the same day.

Analysis of footage from nearby traffic cameras showed clips of their neighbour Armugam, 37, also a labourer, riding a scooter with a big gunny bag, the same day that the toddler went missing.

The police took him in for questioning, where he confessed to murdering the boy. He disposed the body in a storm-water drain in Bilekahalli on September 30 itself.

The motive was revenge. Armugam allegedly told the police that Shamavelu’s uncle, Mani, was having an affair with his wife. When he confronted the family members, Mani’s sister, the victim’s mother, sent her brother back to Tamil Nadu.

However, he returned two weeks ago and Armugam caught him with his wife soon after. After Abhirami supported her brother in the showdown, the accused claimed he killed the toddler in a fit of rage.