Anil Dubey, the son of a newspaper vendor had left home on his bicycle yesterday to help supply newspapers. When he failed to return by evening, his father Ram Kumar filed a complaint in the Vasant Kunj Police Station.

P.K. Bhardwaj, DCP south-west Delhi, said the police arrested Dinesh, a carpenter. They had received information that Anil had last been seen with him on Sunday.

Dinesh, 25, according to Ram Kumar had been staying at a relative's house and had been recently asked to leave. Dinesh had not gone into hiding as he did not expect the police to suspect him, Bhardwaj said. He had allegedly buried the boy in a wood in Kusumpur near an abandoned mine.

After his arrest, Dinesh took the police to the scene of the crime. Dinesh allegedly told the police he had sexually abused the boy. Anil had apparently threatened to expose him, that was when he strangled the 10-year-old.