NEW DELHI: The body of a three-year-old boy, who had gone missing from his home in southeast Delhi earlier this month, was recovered from a drain near his residence in the Jaitpur area on Friday, police said. The child had been reported missing on January 13 from Khadda Colony.
According to the police, a missing complaint was lodged by the boy’s father Raju, who is a autorickshaw driver.
The police said there was a delay in reporting the incident following which investigators narrowed down the possible time of disappearance to a three-hour window between 12 noon and 3 pm on January 13.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered and a detailed investigation was initiated immediately, they said.
“A team comprising 16 police personnel was constituted to trace the child. As part of the investigation, technical surveillance was carried out and footage from over 100 CCTV cameras installed in the surrounding lanes and connecting streets was examined,” a senior police officer said.
Police also verified the movement of more than 80 auto-rickshaw drivers who had passed through the area during the suspected time window.
The body was recovered at around 2.30 pm on Friday and appeared to be water-swollen, indicating that it had remained submerged for a considerable period, they said. The crime team and forensic experts were immediately rushed to the spot and conducted a thorough examination of the scene.
Officials said the autopsy will help ascertain the exact cause of death and determine whether there was any involvement of foul play. Further investigation will continue based on the findings of the post-mortem report.
Raju, the child’s father, stated that his three-year-old son went missing on January 13 while playing outside their house. After searching nearby areas for several hours, the family lodged a missing complaint with the police. Claiming his three-year-old son was kidnapped and murdered, Raju demanded a thorough probe, citing injuries on the child’s body and
suspected foul play.