Nagpur: People from diverse communities on Sunday came together in Gittikhadan to mourn the death of 14-year-old Atharva Nanore, a Class 8 student whose body was found stuffed in a sack on Saturday. Preliminary autopsy report received on Sunday confirmed that the boy was strangulated with a cloth, with clear compression marks visible on his neck.The murder sparked widespread outrage, with demands for immediate arrest of the accused and a thorough and impartial investigation. On Sunday, the boy’s body arrived in the locality from Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at 3pm, triggering an outpouring of grief that transcended caste and religious lines, as residents stood shoulder-to-shoulder to bid him a final farewell. Mourners consoled each other while speculating the motive and identity of the perpetrator. Police are investigating the motive behind the murder and probing whether it was an insider’s job. Since the body was decomposing, it became difficult to gather additional forensic evidence or detect other injuries, said police. Atharva was kidnapped from Gittikhadan area on April 2 during Hanuman Jamnotsav celebrations. The body was discovered inside a sack with his hands and legs tied together on the Bharatwada overbridge on the ring road on April 4 afternoon. “We want justice for Atharva,” shouted several residents, highlighting the collective pain they felt over the loss of an innocent life. “Everyone hit the streets for Atharva,” said Congress leader Rizwan Khan Moovi, who was standing with Bablu Tiwari, one of the key office-bearers of the Hanuman temple. Hundreds of residents were part of the funeral procession which proceeded to Mankapur Ghat for the last rites. Family members, visibly shattered by the loss, were supported by relatives and locals during the rituals.Atharva’s family, overwhelmed with grief, struggled to come to terms with the tragedy while being comforted by the local residents. On Sunday, heavy security arrangements were put in place, with a large number of police officers, riot control commandos and women constables deployed at Gittikhadan Chowk, along with a surveillance van equipped with CCTV cameras. Investigators are puzzled with the information that Atharva reportedly went with the perpetrator without any resistance or protest. This suggests the boy knew and trusted that person, leading police to suspect that the murderer could be someone from inside the family or a close relative. Several teams from Gittikhadan police station have been formed to crack the case quickly. One team is scanning all CCTV footage, another is questioning the father’s business associates and the cyber cell is thoroughly examining call details, phone locations and other digital records. Police teams are also examining cloth fibres from the scene. Another puzzling aspect is the time gap in the discovery of the body. The police patil (warden) of Bharatwada stated he did not see any sack on the overbridge when he crossed it on the morning of April 3.Investigators found that mobile phone location of a relative was traced near Mahurzhari, close to where the body was discovered. When questioned, the relative claimed he went there to search for the boy. Police are interrogating him further. Police are also examining whether there was any family issue that led to the murder.
