New Delhi, Mar 21 (IANS): In a shocking incident, a superstitious, childless woman brutally strangulated a 3-year-old boy on a tantrik's urging as he had allegedly told her that she would conceive a child if she undertook this sacrifice, police said on Sunday.

"During the course of interrogation, accused Neelam Gupta revealed that she got married in 2013 and could not conceive a child despite medical aid. Under a lot of pressure to conceive due to taunts of her in-laws and society, she approached a tantrik in (Uttar Pradesh's) Hardoi four years back who suggested to her at that time to sacrifice a child if she wants to conceive," DCP, Rohini, Pranav Tayal, said.

Gupta, who hails from Hardoi, was residing at Budh Vihar here with her husband.

The matter came to light on Saturday, after a missing report of a 3-year-old child was lodged at the Budh Vihar police station. During the search operation, a police team noticed a white-coloured bag lying the roof of the adjacent house and it raised some suspicion in their minds. They opened it to find the dead body of the missing child inside.

"The deceased child had some injury marks on his neck and on prima facie observation, it was found he was strangulated," the officer added.

Family members, relatives and neighbours of the family were questioned. During the course of interrogation, it was revealed that last time the child was seen with one of the neighbours who was identified as Neelam.

After sustained questioning in which the accused tried to mislead the police, she confessed to having committed the murder when the boy was playing on the roof alone.

She said she went to the roof of the building in which all the families stayed together, when others were absent, to execute her plan.