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Ludhiana: Missing 9-year-old boy found dead with throat slit, cops suspect sexual assault
Police say child was missing since Thursday, CCTV shows a man leading hin towards buses before murder
A body of a nine-year-old boy, who had been missing since Thursday, was found in bushes with his throat slit barely two kilometres from his home in Kasabad village on Saturday.
According to police, the child had gone out to play near his house on Thursday afternoon but did not return. When he failed to come back till evening, his parents began searching the neighbourhood and nearby areas but were unable to trace him. Later that night, they approached the Basti Jodhewal police station to report him missing.
According to the family, instead of initiating an immediate search, police officials directed them to Meharban police station and later to Salem Tabri police station, citing jurisdictional issues. The repeated referrals, they alleged, resulted in a crucial loss of time that could have saved the child’s life.
Angered by the alleged inaction, the family and local residents staged a protest on Saturday outside the Salem Tabri police station and near Jalandhar Bypass chowk, holding photographs of the child and demanding immediate action. Following the protest, police informed the family that an FIR had been registered against unidentified persons.
However, hours later, the child’s body was recovered from bushes in the same locality.
The boy’s mother alleged that police failed to respond despite repeated pleas. “We kept running from one police station to another. No one listened to us. Only after we protested did the police start searching seriously,” she said.
Later in the day, police reviewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area and noticed a man walking towards the bushes with a child following him. Acting on this lead, police teams conducted a search operation and recovered the boy’s body from the same spot captured in the footage.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP-1) Sameer Verma said preliminary investigation indicated that the child was murdered on the same day he went missing. “CCTV footage shows a man heading towards the bushes with the child following him. The child was not forcibly taken. There is suspicion of sexual assault followed by murder. We are scanning more CCTV footage to identify the accused, who is believed to be from the nearby locality,” Verma said.
Responding to allegations of police delay, the ADCP rejected the claims, calling them baseless. He said the family initially searched for the boy on their own and reached Jodhewal police station on Thursday night, from where they were guided to Salem Tabri police station.
“Jodhewal police also informed Salem Tabri police about the matter. The family came to Salem Tabri police station on Friday, after which a case was registered. The body was subsequently recovered by the police,” he added.
Police have launched a manhunt to trace the suspect seen in the CCTV footage, while further investigation is underway.
