VARANASI: The severed head of a teenage boy was discovered hanging by a belt from a tendu tree in a forested area of Patgadi Tola under the Chopan police station limits in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district on Tuesday.
The lower portion of the body was missing. The 16-year-old had been reported missing since January 19.
Villagers reportedly spotted the remains hanging from a tree nearly 3 km from the Varanasi–Shaktinagar state highway and alerted the police. Some clothes and skeletal remains were found scattered at a short distance from the spot.
Chopan SHO Akhilesh Kumar Mishra, along with a police team and forensic experts, reached the scene and began an investigation. The head and other recovered remains were taken into custody and sent to the district hospital for post-mortem examination.
Based on the clothing and physical features, the deceased was identified by his elder brother Ravi as Mangal Prasad (16), son of Rambilas, a resident of Jawari Dand Kota village.
Family members told police that Mangal had left home in anger on January 19. When efforts to locate him failed, a missing person’s report was lodged at Chopan police station.
Police said that prima facie, the remains appear to be around 20 to 25 days old. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the death.
