Ghaziabad boy found dead in box: Murder case registered, family acquaintances to be questioned

The Ghaziabad Police on Tuesday added provisions of murder and started investigation into the death of four-year-old Mohammad Zaid. The police have also added Indian Penal Code (IPC) section of murder in the FIR that was registered when Zaid was reported missing.

Officials said they will start questioning people connected to Zaid’s family and those who had access to the terrace where he was found dead.

The body of Zaid, who went missing on December 1, 2016, was found inside a wooden box on the rooftop of his neighbour’s house on June 3. The police have seized the box as a case property and are trying to gather evidence.

“We cannot comment on the earlier investigation. We have now collected pieces of evidence and are taking help from forensic experts. Crucial evidence may have been lost during the course of time,” said Rakesh Mishra, circle officer (Sahibabad).

On December 1, 2016, Zaid told his mother he was going to his father’s shop. He neither reached the shop, nor returned home in the evening. His body was recovered from the rooftop of his neighbour’s house on June 3. The postmortem report was inconclusive and did not determine the exact time and cause of death.

“During the post-mortem, the doctors found that the death appeared to have happened at least one month ago. We could not ascertain the time limit beyond (the past month) hence help from forensic experts is required. Some remains have been preserved and sent to forensic lab in Agra,” said a senior doctor from the health department.

An investigating officer said police would question a man named Raju who lived as tenant at Zaid’s house. “He was residing with the family during the time when the boy went missing,” police officials said.

Zaid’s family lived on the first floor while the ground floor room was occupied by Raju and his family. “The other room was occupied by Asad who works with me,” said Zaid’s father Nazar Mohammad.

Nazar said on the day when Zaid went missing, Raju had some visitors from Kolkata and they were supposed to catch a train at 4am the next day. Nazar said Raju was asked to vacate the room 2-3 months after Zaid’s disappearance.

“Once, there was some altercation between my wife and the women in my neighbour’s (on whose rooftop the box was found). But the men never fought. We still don’t suspect them, but it is up to police to decide,” Nazar added. The family suspects it could be someone known to them who was familiar with the house. “Zaid was tall and it was not possible that he locked himself in the wooden box,” said Zaid’s uncle.