Both bodies found in same sugarcane field, at same spot: Police probing boy’s murder stumbles on another murder of 11-year

11 year old was thought to have been killed by leopard; farmer held; police probe possibility of sexual assault in both cases
SHOCKING discovery of a semi-clad body of a 12-year-old boy in Shirur taluka and probe by Pune Rural police into his murder led the police to unearth another murder of an 11-year-old boy at the exact spot 21 months ago.

Police have now arrested a 25-year-old farmer, who allegedly committed both murders, and are probing the possibility of sexual assault in both cases.

The 12-year-old boy, a student of Class 6, from a farmer family, was found dead in a sugarcane field on Tuesday evening.

As the Pune Rural police launched a probe with multiple teams working on various leads, they zeroed in on a suspect, a 25-year-old farmer and distant relative of the deceased.

An 11-year-old boy was found dead in the same sugarcane field earlier and was suspected to have been killed by a leopard.

But the forensic evidence was inconclusive to ascertain it as a leopard attack.

The 12-year-old boy had gone missing in the afternoon after he returned from school.

After returning from school, he had stepped out of the house to play.

As he did not return soon, his family members started searching for him.

Around 5.30 on Tuesday, his body was found near a well in the sugarcane field not far from his house.

Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Sandeep Singh Gill said, “The nature of injuries on the head and other parts of the body pointed to murder.

We launched a coordinated probe into the murder.

We also started looking into the death of an 11-year-old boy in June 2024, in which a case of accidental death was registered.

It came to light that both bodies were found at almost the same location.

At the time, the possibility of leopard attack was probed.

But the forensic evidence was inconclusive.”
Gill added, “As our probe progressed, we not only ascertained the role of the 25-year-old accused in Tuesday’s murder but also that he had killed the 11-year-old boy in June 2024.

We are investigating possibility of sexual assault in both cases.”
Officials said that in the June 2024 case, the 11-year-old boy had gone missing after he had gone to the sugarcane field to attend nature’s call.

As the family launched a search, his body was found in the same sugarcane farm, and at almost the same location where the 12-year-old’s body was found 21 months later.