CHANDIGARH: Spurned by a man she wanted to marry, a woman allegedly killed his two-year-old nephew by putting him into a washing machine in

's

district, police said on Wednesday.

The boy, Adhiraj, was found lying in a motionless state in the washing machine at the house of the woman who lives in the neighbourhood, Kotwali police station incharge Satpal Singh said over phone.

The child was rushed to a hospital but was declared as brought dead. The accused, Manpreet Kaur, has been arrested and a case of murder registered, Singh said.

Kaur was in a relationship with the boy's maternal uncle and was unable to bear the thought of him marrying someone else, according to the inspector. "She killed the child in a desperate bid that her lover's marriage would be postponed."

The boy had come with his mother and four-year-old brother to attend his uncle's wedding, which was scheduled on Sunday.

Adhiraj, his brother and another girl from neighbourhood went into the woman's house while they were playing on Tuesday afternoon. Though two of them returned, Adhiraj went missing, the officer said.

After the boy's family failed to trace him, they approached the police, which got a clue on the basis of footage from CCTV camera installed in the area. It showed the three children entering the neighbourhood house, but only two coming out from there, the officer added.