Body of eight-year-old boy, Sehajpreet, of Ludhiana’s Abdulapura Basti — missing since August 18 night — was recovered from Doraha canal on Sunday morning. The police informed that his uncle (taya) Swaran Singh had allegedly pushed the boy into the canal owing to a family rivalry.
The accused was in police custody since Saturday and after hours of questioning, he confessed to having killed the child on Sunday morning.
The police maintained that Swaran Singh had taken Sehajpreet with him on August 18 night on some pretext without informing the family; and pushed him into Doraha canal the same night. On finding the boy missing, the family members lodged a complaint with the police.
When the police scanned the CCTV footage of nearby areas, the suspect was spotted near Jalandhar bypass. The family members then raised their suspicion on the role of Swaran Singh in the kidnapping. Swaran Singh was apprehended and on being questioned, he confessed to having committed the crime.
The police had taken Swaran Singh to the canal where he told the exact point where he pushed the boy into the canal. The divers then fished out the body. A murder case has been registered against the accused. Police said that some property dispute was the motive behind the crime. The role of other family members of the accused is also being probed, police added.