8-Year-Old Boy Burned, Remains Disposed In Gutter By Mother And Uncle To Hide Their Illicit Relationship

An 8-year-old boy was murdered and disposed of in a gutter by his mother and uncle after they suspected that he would expose their illicit relationship.

Viramgam police in India’s Gujarat reopened the 30-month-old case, related to the disappearance of the child and discovered that he was brutally murdered.

The child, identified as Hardik Patel was reported missing in September 2018. He reportedly left home to buy chocolates and never returned.

The family members searched for the boy but failed to locate him. The family then approached the Viramgam rural police and filed a missing person complaint.

The police initiated an investigation but could not gather any leads. The 30-months-old cold case was reopened during the Director-General of Police’s (DGP) drive to find missing persons.

The investigators suspected foul play regarding the boy’s disappearance after they found a ransom note where the child’s father was addressed by his nickname, suggesting the involvement of someone close to the family.

"The ransom note, which was addressed to Hardik’s father, used his nickname suggesting that someone close to him had written it. This raised our suspicion that someone close to the family was involved in the disappearance of the boy. Currently, we are gathering more evidence," the Ahmedabad Mirror quoted the Ahmedabad Rural ASP, Lavina Sinha as saying.

The police questioned the villagers and learned about the illicit relationship between the boy’s mother, Joshna, and his uncle, Ramesh.

The investigator’s also learned that just before the boy’s disappearance was reported, his uncle had left the village and started living in a different town.

Joshna and Ramesh were interrogated during which they confessed to the crime. They told the investigators that the child had seen them in a compromising position and feared he would reveal it to their family.

According to the police, after the boy had left home to get some chocolates, the suspects took him to a nearby field, where they strangled him to death.

The suspects then burned the boy’s body and disposed of the remains in the gutter.

Both suspects have been arrested, however, the charges imposed on them are unclear at this time. The case is being investigated, police officials said.