Pawan was admitted in Safdarjung Hospital, where doctors said he suffered 50 per cent burn injuries. His condition was said to be critical.

Police said Atul Garg has been arrested. He had gone to a tea stall, run by Pawan’s uncle Lallan, on Saturday night and asked for a glass to for his drink, police said.

“Garg was already drunk and asked Pawan for a glass and water so he could drink more liquor. When Pawan refused, he assaulted him and used abusive language. Other shopkeepers intervened, but Garg continued to abuse the boy. When Pawan objected, Garg picked him up and threw him in a container full of boiling milk,” a senior police officer said.

Pawan was first taken to Ghaziabad’s MMG Hospital, and later transferred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

Eyewitnesses said two constables from the nearby police post came to check on the commotion and arrested Garg on the spot.

Rajeev, who runs a paan stall nearby said, “All the shopkeepers came to Lallan’s stall when the man started shouting. The police post is very close by.”

Police said Pawan suffered burn injuries on the back, arms, neck and chest.

Garg runs a grocery store at Kirana Mandi in Ghaziabad. He was arrested for attempt to murder.

Rohini triple murder: One cellphone found

Investigators found upon the mobile phone of Yogendra Pratap Singh Chauhan, a businessman who was murdered along with his wife and 22-year-old daughter on Thursday night inside their Rohini home in Outer Delhi. The man, from whom the phone was recovered, reportedly told police that he found the phone “lying around”. He pulled out the SIM card and replaced it with his own SIM card.

“He has denied any knowledge of the case,” an officer said.