MADURAI: A seven-year-old boy was found dead at an abandoned house near his house under mysterious circumstances in Thaniyamangalam near Melur on Monday morning after he went missing the previous afternoon.
The deceased was P Muthuvelan, son of Periyakaruppan and Santhya. He was a Class 3 student, Keezhavalavu police said.
The body bore blood stains, injuries and strangulation marks, claimed family members.
However, a police officer said, “The body was not found with any external injuries, and so far sexual assault has not been established. Possibility of death due to bites of poisonous insects is also under check.”
The postmortem report is awaited. Police are investigating if the boy was murdered for gain. It is not known if he was wearing any jewellery when he went missing, said sources.
The family claimed they have no enmity with anyone and the boy never went to the place where he was found dead. They raised suspicion that he might either have been murdered on the spot or shifted to the place after being killed, the officer added.
The body was found 500 metres from the boy’s house. Muthuvelan was last seen around 11 am on Sunday. He was supposed to return home for lunch in the afternoon but did not turn up, said relatives.
The family members, with the help of villagers, searched for him before lodging a missing person complaint at the police station. Police also joined in the search operation but dropped the search due to night hours and rain on Sunday.
However, Muthuvelan was found dead inside an abandoned house on Monday morning. The body was shifted to the Government Rajaji Hospital for postmortem.
The family expressed reluctance to accept his body unless they get clarity on the death. They also demanded compensation for the family from the government. DMK deputy general secretary and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi on her X page blamed the TVK government for not being able to provide protection for children.
Leader of Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, also blamed the TVK for their inefficiency in handling law and order. The X handle of AIADMK also blamed the government over the death of the schoolboy.
