Depressed man kills 8-year-old son, held

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A 54-year-old man suffering from depression has been held for killing his minor son in the national capital, police said on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Anto Alphonse said Om Prakash earlier worked as a vegetable vendor. "He was in debts and had a tense relationship with his wife that is why he was depressed."

The officer said Prakash, who hails from Jind and currently resides in Najafgarh, killed his only son Deepak on Friday by poisoning and strangulating him in her wife's absence.

"When his wife returned home, she saw him trying to suffocate the child with a blanket. She immediately raised an alarm and the man fled," the police said.

The wife later noticed some dark powder around the son's mouth and one thick thread tied around his neck. Some scratch marks were also there on the neck.

The victim's mother took him to Rao Tularam Memorial Hospital with the help of their neighbours, where the son was declared brought dead.

Prakash was spotted by the police on Sunday in Bahadurgarh. He told the police that he was under depression due to a debt of Rs two lakh and wanted to die.

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