Tattoo helps identify boy’s body, killer held

An alphabet tattooed on the body of a youngster found dead in the Mankhurd area on Sunday night, helped the local police solve the murder case.

An alphabet tattooed on the body of a youngster found dead in the Mankhurd area on Sunday night, helped the local police solve the murder case.

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The accused, hailing from the same locality as the deceased, had allegedly crushed his head with a stone. They had some enmity and the accused in a fit of rage, killed him on Sunday night, the police said.

Akash Udumale, 17, had allegedly beaten up 18-year-old Hemant Sakpal around a month back and the latter was holding a grudge against him for the same, the police said.

The Mankhurd police had received a call on Monday night about an unidentified body—with its face damaged beyond recognition — found near Bharat Nagar area of Mankhurd.

The police did not find any document on the person of the deceased that would help in the identification of the body.

As the face was damaged beyond recognition, the police could not take a photograph of the deceased and circulate it. “We found the alphabet A, a heart symbol followed by V tattooed on the right hand of the deceased,” said an officer from Mankhurd police station.

On investigating, the police learnt that Udumale had a fight with Sakpal, who lived in the same locality.

“When we went to Udumale house to interrogate him, his family said he had not come home since Sunday night. We found him near Mankhurd railway station on Monday night. On interrogation, Sakpal confessed to the murder,” said Rajput.