A 15-year-old boy, who had gone missing after the body of an eight-year-old girl was found in Vasai in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Tuesday, was detained while his parents were arrested on Thursday in connection with her murder.
The police said that while the boy was charged with murder, his parents alleged role was in disposing of the girl’s body.
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Senior inspector of Pelhar police station Shahuji Ranaware said, “So far there is no clarity on the motive behind the murder. Till the time we get medical reports, we cannot be sure if the girl was sexually assaulted.” He added, “We have found that the families of the boy and the girl had fought a couple of times in the past over trivial issues.”
On December 1, the girl had been reported missing by her parents after she had left home to purchase ice cream in the evening in Vasai. When she did not return home till late at night, they approached the local Pelhar police station where a kidnapping case was registered. The family also put up missing posters in the area that promised a reward of Rs 20,000.
On Tuesday, the police received a call from residents about a foul smell emanating from one of the rented rooms in the area. When the police broke open the door, the girl’s decomposed body was found in a plastic bag with her legs tied in the room.
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An officer said soon after the incident, it came to light that the 15-year-old boy was missing. Later, the police found that he had been sent to his native place in Jalna by his parents. Suspecting something amiss, the police questioned the parents. An officer said that prima facie it appeared that the minor had dragged the girl to his room and had gagged her.
The officer added that when the boy’s father came to know what he had done, he asked him to escape to Jalna and ensure that the case was not linked back to him. “We suspect he was the one who moved the body from their residence to a room that was not used by anyone and locked it,” said the officer.
The police are awaiting the post-mortem report to find out if sexual assault was involved.
The police are awaiting the post-mortem report to find out if sexual assault was involved. 
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