In a shocking incident, a superstitious, childless woman 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.