Shopkeeper says she saw killed boy with a stranger

CHENNAI: A day after the body of six-year-old Priyadarshan was recovered from a well at the Vayalur village near Tiruvallur, a shop owner has told police that she had seen the boy slumped asleep on a motorcycle.
Varalakshmi, who runs a shop at Sirumani Kuppam, 6km away from the boy’s house and 4km away from the well in which he was found dead, told police that she spotted the boy when a motorcycle rider stopped to buy pan masala.The police have started a search based on the information provided by Varalakshmi.
According to Varalakshmi’s statement, the boy was wearing the same shorts in which he was found dead. The stranger bought a sachet of pan masala and sped away with the boy without speaking. She came forward to inform the police after she saw the boy’s picture in the newspapers.
“The woman had not noticed the registration number of the bike as she did not find anything unusual. As the boy’s face was turned toward the shop while sleeping on the petrol tank, she claims that it was the same boy who was found dead in the well. We suspect that the assailant may have given some sedatives before kidnapping the boy,” a police officer said.
The boy Priyadarshan disappeared from his house on Wednesday morning at around 11am.
Varalakshmi saw the boy at around 11.30am. He was later found dead inside a well on Friday morning after some villagers noticed the body floating in the water and alerted police. Mappedu police have formed teams to crack the case and has launched a manhunt.