Durgapur, 01 May (H.S.): A 17-year-old boy was found hanging under suspicious circumstances in the Jemua area of Durgapur on Friday morning, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Sheikh Rashidul, a resident of Jemua. His body was found hanging from a tin shed structure near a farmland, though his feet were reportedly touching the ground, raising suspicion over the nature of the death.

Family members alleged foul play, claiming the boy may have been murdered and his body later hanged to make it appear as a suicide.

According to the family, Rashidul had gone missing on Thursday evening after stepping out of his house, saying he was going to the bathroom. They came to know about his death from locals on Friday morning.

The family further said that the boy was seen with a girl on Wednesday and was briefly stopped by police before being released. He reportedly spent that night at a friend’s house and returned home on Thursday before going missing again.

“He had a noose around his neck but his feet were on the ground. We suspect something is wrong and want a proper investigation,” the boy’s brother said.

The police have sent the body for post-mortem to Durgapur Sub-Divisional Hospital, later shifting it to Asansol District Hospital. Officers said the exact cause of death would be known after the autopsy report is received.

An investigation into the incident is underway, the police added.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey