Two held for crushing teen's body with tractor rotavator to destroy proof after 'accidental' death in Uttar Pradesh

Police said that Vikram (15), a resident of Gayatri Nagar under the Risia police limits, did agricultural work for Sanjay Verma, a local contractor. On December 9, Vikram's father Munijar filed a missing complaint, stating his son left for work on December 6 but never returned.

Bahraich (UP): Two men were arrested from Bahraich for allegedly crushing the body of a 15-year-old Dalit boy with a tractor rotavator after he died in an 'accident' to destroy evidence, police said on Monday.

Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla told reporters that Vikram (15), a resident of Gayatri Nagar under the Risia police limits, did agricultural work for Sanjay Verma, a local contractor.

On December 9, Vikram's father Munijar filed a missing complaint, stating his son left for work on December 6 but never returned.

When questioned, Verma claimed to have dropped Vikram near a village tower at around 9 pm on that day, the SP said.

However, scrutiny of CCTV footage and mobile surveillance revealed inconsistencies in the statements given by Verma and his assistant, Lavkush Pal.

During interrogation, the duo confessed to the crime, police said.

According to Verma's confession, Vikram accidentally fell from a tractor while ploughing a field and was hit fatally by its rotavator. However, instead of seeking medical help, they chose to cover up the incident, the SP said.

Verma admitted to repeatedly running the rotavator over Vikram's body at two separate locations, before burying the remains in a field and disposing of his shoes in a nearby pond, she added.

"Police teams recovered fragments of the victim's jacket, shirt, pant, and bones from various locations, including fields and a pond, and sent them for forensic and DNA analysis," Shukla said.

Verma and Pal have been booked under multiple sections, including murder and destruction of evidence, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the SC/ST Act. The tractor and rotavator used in the crime have been seized, the officer said.

Police will seek a fast-track trial to ensure swift justice for the victim, she added.