The body of a young boy believed to be around five years old, was found stuffed in a bag on the bank of the Ganga canal in Ghaziabad's Niwari area, police said.
As per the authorities, the child, wearing a school uniform, appeared to have been killed elsewhere and abandoned near the canal.
"The deceased boy was wearing a red sweater and black pants, perhaps these were of the school uniform," PTI quoted ACP Modinagar Gyan Prakash. The body was later sent for post-mortem to know the exact cause of death.
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The police further added that his left hand was also plastered, indicating possible injury before death.
A preliminary probe suggested that the body was intended to be thrown into the canal but got stuck in nearby bushes and found.
Discovered body resembles kid who had gone missing in 2022
The body was discovered on December 17 by passers-by, who immediately alerted the Niwari Police Station. Upon arriving at the scene, the police took the body into custody for further examination.
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{{/usCountry}}The body was discovered on December 17 by passers-by, who immediately alerted the Niwari Police Station. Upon arriving at the scene, the police took the body into custody for further examination.
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{{/usCountry}}In the course of the investigation, police discovered that the boy's face resembled that of an 8-year-old child who had gone missing from Meerut in July 2022.
They contacted the Meerut police, who in turn reached out to the boy's family with a photograph of the deceased. However, the family did not recognise the body.
Senior Superintendent of Police in Meerut, Vipin Tada, confirmed that they are working closely with Niwari police to assist in solving the case.
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To establish the child's identity, Ghaziabad DCP (rural), NK Tiwari, announced plans to conduct a DNA test between the deceased boy and the mother of the missing 8-year-old.
The investigation is ongoing as police continue to look for evidence to identify the child. "We are also working on this case and will assist the Niwari police," Tada said.