Noida, February 11: The body of a 16-year-old boy, who was allegedly killed by his friends and dumped in a canal, was recovered on Sunday in Greater Noida after 11 days of intensive search, police said. The body was found almost 12 km away from the point where it was dumped in the canal, officials said.

Vaibhav Singhal, son of a local trader, was strangled by two of his friends on January 30 allegedly over a personal dispute involving the girlfriend of one of the accused. The accused, Maaz Pathan, 19, and another juvenile, had dumped the body into the Khareli canal near Hinauti village, according to police. Noida Shocker: 24-Year-Old Meerut Man Stoned to Death by Three Men Following Clash During Cricket Match at Noida Extension.

Both the accused were arrested after a gunfight on February 7 by the local Dankaur police station officials. Pathan, 19, suffered a gunshot injury in his leg during the episode, according to police. "After the January 30 incident, continuous efforts were made to find the body of the boy.

The accused had confessed to killing him and dumping the body in the canal," a police spokesperson said. A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team and five police teams were formed to trace the body. The body was being searched for in the canals and their branch streams, leading to districts such as Bulandshahr, Mathura, Agra and Aligarh, the spokesperson said. Noida Horror: Gym Trainer Brutally Killed as Unknown Assailants Rain Bullets on Him in Sector 104, Disturbing Video Surfaces.

"Today (Sunday), a team was searching among the bushes along the Mart branch canal. The body was found 100 metres from Chachura culvert," the official said. The body has been identified by the family and further legal proceedings in the case are underway, police added.

The incident had sparked an outrage among residents of Bilaspur town in Greater Noida who gheraoed the local Dankaur police station, alleging laxity in probe in the case. Community support also poured in for the grieving family and relatives as local traders kept their shops closed for multiple days demanding justice.

While BJP national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal visited the aggrieved family last week, UP cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta extended support to them and assured harshest punishment to the culprits. The matter was also brought to the notice of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the Vidhan Sabha session in Lucknow a few days ago.