Missing youth's body found dumped in drain

LUCKNOW: A 17-year-old youth, son of a wholesale fruit seller, who had been missing since Thursday night was found murdered and his body dumped in a drain in Madiaon.

The deceased, identified as Zaid of Dawod Nagar in Faizullaganj locality of Madiaon, had gone missing on Thursday night after he left home with his driver Salman, a resident of Bahraich, to get back his SUV which had been given for servicing.

Around 11.30pm, Salman returned alone and told Zaid's father Maqbool that Zaid had been attacked by some unidentified miscreants.

Maqbool and other family members rushed to look for Zaid but could not find him anywhere. The family then lodged a missing complaint at Madiaon police station around 3.53am on Friday.

When police probe failed to fetch an early result, Zaid's family and relatives mounted pressure by petitioning their case with senior officials. Police then detained Salman suspecting his credentials.

Aliganj CO Deepak Kumar Singh said that during sustained, intensive interrogation on Saturday, Salman disclosed that he had a fight with Zaid on a money issue and he attacked him in a fit of rage. He further disclosed that he threw Zaid off the vehicle in a drain on 60 feet road in Madiaon. A police team was instantly sent to the spot and it recovered the body during search operation.

Police sent the body for autopsy.

"Salman disclosed that he hit Zaid with a heavy object and injured him grievously. Fearing police action, he dumped the body in drain and fabricated a story to mislead Zaid's parents and police," said CO Deepak Singh.

Singh said Salman had been staying at Zaid's house for over a week. "Salman confessed that he killed Zaid in a tiff over a woman. Salman also looted the cash Zaid was carrying," said Singh.

"We are yet to conclude the investigation and interrogation of Salman is still under way," he said.