Kushinagar,

30 March (HS): A 12-year-old child who had been missing for three days was

discovered dead in the bushes beside a canal about two kilometres from his home

here, authorities said Monday. The boy's body, identified as Rajveer Yadav, was

discovered on Sunday night, they added. Yadav, who had been residing at his

maternal grandparents' house in Gopalpur Virecha village, departed about 3 p.m.

on March 27 to buy groceries from Hanuman Chauraha in Paikauli, but did not

return, police said. The police filed a missing person report after receiving a

complaint from his maternal uncle Aditya. Following this, authorities conducted

a search operation, but no breakthrough was made.

Police

claimed that on Sunday nigh., several residents discovered a body lying in

bushes along a canal near Radhiya Deoria, some two kilometers from the hamlet,

which was subsequently confirmed as Rajveer's. Police added that a preliminary

inspection found black stains around the boy's neck, increasing suspicions of

murder. Siddharth Verma, Additional Superintendent of Police, stated that the

exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem. According to

police, Rajveer's father, Pramod Yadav, a native of Katraul in Ramkola, works

in Saudi Arabia, while his mother, Reena, resides with her two boys at her

parents' house.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi