Hamirpur, March 20 (IANS): The skeleton of an 18-year-old male, who had gone missing from home four days before Holi in 2023, has been recovered from the jungle area near his village, in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district.

Police officials said on Wednesday that the family members confirmed the identity of the deceased after seeing the clothes on the skeleton. The skeleton and the clothes have been sent for a post-mortem and forensic examination to confirm the identity of the deceased and the cause of death.

Hamirpur circle officer (CO) of Maudaha, Shreyas Tripathi said that the boy, identified as Arvind Kumar a.k.a Bauwa, son of Chandrapal Ahirwar, had gone missing under mysterious circumstances on March 4, nearly four days before Holi on March 8, 2023.

He said that the victim’s father had informed the police about his disappearance on March 6, 2023, but the police had failed to find him.

“The skeleton was discovered by the deceased’s father when he had gone to bring sticks and wood from the jungle along with another person of the village. He immediately informed the police suspecting the skeleton to be of his missing son after seeing clothes on it,” the CO said and added that two packets of Holi colour and packets of Pan Masala were found from the pocket of the trouser on the skeleton”.

He said it is a little surprising that the father discovered the remains of his son after a year. He said the family members had raised suspicion over four people of their village behind the boy’s murder.