4-yr-old boy smothered in UP; Father, stepmother held

A four-year-old boy in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow was allegedly smothered to death after suffering brutal abuse, police said. His post-mortem revealed 18 injuries, including fractures, pointing to prolonged assault. Police arrested the father and stepmother. Relatives alleged the boy was regularly beaten for months after the father secured custody in 2025.