Bhopal, July 16: Two days after his abduction, half-burnt body of a toddler was found near his house on Tuesday. The body of three-year-old Varun was found covered in a piece of cloth in an abandoned house, a few metres away from his home, in Bairagarh Chichli village of Bhopal. His body has been sent for post mortem and an investigation has been launched to nab culprits, said Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Irshad Wali.

According to his family, Varun had gone out to buy chocolates on Sunday when he was abducted. "On the same evening, a few people in an SUV hit the forest post to flee from the spot. Police suspected that the boy was kidnapped in the same SUV but nobody even thought that he could be kidnapped by a villager," Narayan Meena, the child's grandfather who is a forest guard, was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying. Delhi Shocker: 6-Year-Old Girl Raped by Rickshaw Puller in Janakpuri; Accused Arrested.

DIG Irshad Wali said Nitin Meena, father of the child, identified the body of his son. Meena, a farmer, had filed a complaint with the police after Varun went missing. The police formed a search team and deployed several personnel to trace Varun. However, their efforts went in vain. An investigation was underway to nab those who involved in the crime. The family didn't receive any ransom call.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2019 05:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).