Five-year-old died of head injuries, not strangulation

The kidnap and murder of five-year-old Shubh Bupendra Raval, son of a scientist couple, has a new twist. The victim’s post-mortem report has now revealed that the little boy died due to heavy injuries on his head rather than strangulation.

Deputy commissioner of police (zone III) Shahji Umap, while talking to DNA, said that the suspect had allegedly thrown an unconscious Shubh over a 15-feet boundary wall at Vetalbaba hills.

“We suspect that in order to stop Shubh from escaping, the suspect first tried to strangulate him. That made the child unconscious post which he was flung over the boundary wall. That probably killed him,” he said.

Shubh’s post-mortem was carried out on Monday at Sassoon General Hospital around 10 am. His inquest was completed by 1 pm. The post-mortem report mentions that Shubh died due to head injuries, but his viscera has been preserved for an expert opinion. The report added that there were two round marks on his neck.

Also, while carrying out the inquest, it came to light that his T-shirt had torn marks which indicates that either there was a scuffle between the two of them or Shubh was picked up and thrown in the bushes.

“There are two strangulation marks on his neck; one may be of the suspect while he was trying to hold Shubh’s neck, and the other of some string or cloth that was forced across his neck from behind. Also, there are red and blue marks on his wrist and face. Shubh died between 9 and 9.30 pm on Sunday,” a doctor told DNA on condition of anonymity.

The body of Shubh, a resident of Armament Research and Development Establishment colony in Pashan, was found in Vetalbaba Hill.

The arrested youth were identified as Parminder Swarn Singh (20) of DSC quarter in Sutarwadi area of Pashan. The other suspect, a 15-year-old boy, too lives in the same colony.