A toddler, Gudapati Mokshanath (18 months), who had gone missing on Wednesday, was found dead in Krishna river on Thursday. The incident triggered protests, as a similar incident had occurred in Tirupati recently.
The boy went missing from his grandparents’ house at Mahendra Colony, in Tenali. His uncle, G. Hariharan alias Harish, too had been missing since Wednesday. The body of the boy
was found floating in the river at Kanakadurgamma Varadhi. Jealousy suspected
The boy’s grandparents were taking care of him, as his father G. Bhaskar Rao and mother are in software profession in Hyderabad. Police suspect that Hariharan, who is unemployed, resorted to the heinous act out of jealousy for his brother.
“On Wednesday, Mokshanath went missing along with his uncle. Hariharan’s relatives used to chide him for not settling in life, and he was apparently humiliated by this. According to him, the accused was moving closely with the child for the last few days,” said Mangalagiri (Rural) Circle Inspector Chittem Koteswara Rao, who is investigating the case.
Asphyxiated?The toddler might have been asphyxiated before being thrown into the river. However, the cause of the death can be established only after post-mortem, said a police officer who visited the spot.
“We suspect that the accused had thrown Mokshanath into the river a few hours after he abducted him. A hunt is on to nab him,” Mr. Koteswara Rao said.
