Killer first taped baby’s mouth, then slit throat

What began as a fragile love story in Uttarakhand ended in an unspeakable tragedy in the bylanes of Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila this week.

Fueled by jealousy, obsession, and an alleged betrayal, a man murdered his former partner and a six-month-old child in cold blood, taping their mouths shut before using a surgical blade to silence them forever.

The accused, Nikhil, a 26-year-old restaurant worker, was arrested from Haldwani after a multi-state manhunt. According to the police, he had grown increasingly paranoid over suspicions that his ex-partner Sonal was in a relationship with another man and had aborted their child without informing him.

On Tuesday, Nikhil walked into a friend’s house where Sonal and the baby girl—daughter of the man he suspected—were present. What followed was a brutal killing.

Officials said Nikhil taped the mouths of both victims to muffle their cries and then slit Sonal’s throat. He then decapitated the baby, allegedly out of twisted revenge.

The couple had a troubled history, ranging from domestic abuse to selling their newborn for Rs 2 lakh in Uttarakhand. Sonal had recently left Nikhil and sought refuge with a friend. The infant’s uncle, still shaken, said, “How can anyone do this? She was just a baby. ”

Delhi