Patna: The mutilated body of a seven-year-old boy was found in a village in Muzaffarpur district on Sunday, 10 days after he went missing. Police said the child was brutally murdered, with his hands and feet chopped off, allegedly in an attempt to conceal the crime.The deceased was identified as Rishikesh Kumar, son of Ashok Singh, a resident of Chainpur Pachhiyari village under Karja police station area.According to family members, Rishikesh had gone out to play near a temple close to his house on Feb 27. As children often played near the temple, the family did not initially suspect anything. However, when he did not return home until late evening, they began searching for him in the surrounding areas and contacted relatives and neighbours, but could not trace him.Later that night, his mother Soni Devi lodged a missing person report at Karja police station. The FIR mentioned that the boy was wearing a black T-shirt and trousers at the time he went missing.On Sunday, villagers spotted a body near Chainpur Chaur and informed the police, who rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.Muzaffarpur SSP Kantesh Kumar Mishra said, “This is a serious case. Police are investigating all aspects of the murder. Based on suspicion, one person has been detained and is being interrogated at an undisclosed location.”The body was sent to the SKMCH for the postmortem and later handed over to the family.Officials said the exact cause of murder will be known only after the postmortem report is received.
