Varanasi: A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the mysterious death of three cousins in Mirzapur.
The decision was announced by ADG, Varanasi zone, Brij Bhushan, who along with IG (Mirzapur range) Piyush Srivastava and SP Ajay Kumar Singh, inspected Lehdia dam in Vindhyachal area, where the bodies of the missing boys were recovered on Wednesday.
The police had initially registered a kidnapping case, but injury marks found in post-mortem changed the course of investigation.
Talking to TOI, the ADG said, “A panel of two doctors had conducted the post-mortem examination amid videography. As injury marks were found on the bodies, the case, which was initially registered under section 363 (kidnapping) of IPC, was converted into a murder case.”
He said an SIT, comprising circle officers of Sadar, Vindhyachal, and Lalganj and special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team in-charge, has been formed under ASP (operations) Mahesh Atri to probe the case. He said the district police will continue its investigation separately.
On December 2, Shyamnarain Tiwari of Bami village had given a complaint to the police, mentioning that his son Sudhanshu and nephews Shivam and Hariom — all aged 14 — had gone to a neighbouring forest but did not return till late evening. Lalganj police lodged a case of kidnapping and started a search operation. The police later recovered their clothes on the banks of Lehadia dam after which divers were pressed into service.
On noticing injury marks on the boys’ neck and eyeballs, their family members cries foul and alleged that they had been murdered. The bereaved family members, along with hundreds of villagers, stopped the police from taking the bodies for autopsy. They also blocked the Varanasi-Mirzapur-Reewa highway and staged a massive demonstration. After the police assured that a murder FIR would be lodged, protesters agreed to handover the bodies to them.
SP Mirzapur said the autopsy was conducted by a panel of doctors formed by the chief medical officer and the bodies were handed over to the family for cremation.
Sudhanshu’s father Rajesh said his brothers Rakesh and Munnalal had come to his house along with their families to attend a wedding on November 30. Most of the relatives were resting after the ceremony, when Sudhanshu left home with cousins Shivam and Hariom. The family has denied enmity with anyone.