What began as a desperate overnight search for a missing schoolboy ended in a horrifying discovery on Saturday, after police recovered the body of a 13-year-old child from a bed storage box inside a residential flat in Indore’s Shrinagar Kankad area.

The boy, a Class 8 student, had stepped out of his home on Friday evening around 7.30 pm and never returned. As hours passed with no sign of him, his family alerted the police and began searching nearby buildings, fearing the worst.

Early clues emerged the next morning when search teams found the child’s jacket lying on the rooftop of a six-storey building located close to his house. Investigators also noticed bloodstains at several points on the terrace and stairwell, indicating a violent struggle and an attempt to clean up the scene.

DCP Prateek Kumar said, “information about the child’s disappearance was received by the police late at night, following which a crime was registered and an investigation was immediately initiated. Early the next morning, police received fresh inputs during the search, which led them to the rooftop of a nearby building where the child’s jacket was found. Bloodstains were also noticed at the spot. During the investigation, police detained two key accused, one an adult and the other a minor. Both are currently being questioned in detail. Preliminary findings indicate that the child was playing in the same building when the crime took place. After killing the boy, the accused hid the body inside a bed in the same premises in an attempt to avoid detection.”

Local Resident Involved in the Crime

Police soon began focusing on a 21-year-old local resident, Rehan, who had strangely joined the search operation. Officers found his behaviour evasive, particularly after noticing visible scratch marks on his hands and neck.

MIG police station SHO C.B. Singh said, “The accused was roaming around with us as we searched. His behavior appeared suspicious, and we noticed fresh scratches on his hands.”

Rehan told officers the injuries were caused by machinery at his workplace. However, checks revealed he had not reported to work for nearly four months, raising further suspicion.

Investigators said CCTV footage became a turning point, showing the boy entering a nearby building shortly before he disappeared. A sniffer dog later reacted aggressively upon encountering Rehan during the search, prompting police to detain him for questioning.

Accused Taken Into Custody

Explaining the breakthrough, SHO Singh said, “Subsequent searches were conducted in the surrounding area even as the CCTV footage was also examined. During the searches, a dog escort team was called to the scene. A dog barked at Rehan, a youth from the area part of the search team upon seeing him. Suspicion arose, and the police took him into custody. Upon questioning, he confessed to the murder.”

During interrogation, Rehan allegedly admitted that he lured the child to the rooftop of the building under a pretext. Police believe the boy was attacked after resisting an attempted sexual assault. Investigators said the child was struck with a brick and strangled repeatedly using a nylon rope.

After the killing, the body was moved to a flat on the fourth floor and hidden inside a bed box. In a chilling attempt to avoid detection, Rehan allegedly made his ailing grandmother sleep on the same bed so that no one would open the storage compartment.

Acting on the confession, police searched the flat and recovered the body wrapped in a blanket. A murder case was immediately registered.

More Details Shared

Providing further details, Singh said, “He also confessed to disposing of the body elsewhere. Police have arrested the accused, Rehan, and detained his minor accomplice. On the disclosure by the accused, police seized the deceased child’s jacket and other evidence.”

The victim’s death has devastated his family. He was the only son and had two elder sisters. His father is a well-known poet who has performed across India and abroad. Relatives claimed the accused were known in the area for illegal activities, though police said the motive is still under investigation.

Forensic teams, dog squads, and senior officials inspected the scene through the day. Blood traces were found at three to four locations, suggesting efforts to erase evidence. Police said postmortem and forensic reports are awaited.

An official said, “All aspects are being investigated, and a detailed post-mortem report is awaited.”

Both the prime accused and his minor accomplice remain in custody as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events behind the crime.