Missing boy’s body found inside abandoned house

The body of a seven-year-old boy, who went missing on Sunday, was found inside an abandoned house at Thaniamangalam village near Melur in the district on Monday. He was identified as P. Muthuvel.

Police said Periyakaruppan, the boy’s father, worked abroad, while his mother, Sathya, lived in the village with the three children and was an agricultural labourer.

With schools closed for holiday, Muthuvel went out to play with other children. When Sathya returned home in the afternoon, she found her son missing. Family members and other villagers conducted a search of the area, but there was no trace of the boy.

Sathya lodged a ‘missing person’ complaint at Keelavalavu police station. Police registered a case and launched a search operation, analysing local CCTV footage and scouring nearby bushes, water bodies, and abandoned structures with the assistance of fire services personnel and villagers. They found Muthuvel’s body inside an abandoned, tiled-roof house in the village.

Police sent the body to Government Rajaji Hospital for a post-mortem examination. District Superintendent of Police N. Devanathan visited the spot and inspected the area. Investigation is on.