A seven-year-old boy, who had gone missing since Monday evening, was found dead at Rajbiraj-5 in Saptari district on Tuesday.  

The body of Pramod Kumar Sah, the son of Umesh Prasad Sah, was found in a culvert, said police. The minor, a permanent resident of Phakira-5, had been staying in Rajbiraj with his brother and sister-in-law. 

He was a pre-school student at a local educational institution. “Preliminary investigation suggests that the boy was strangled to death. There were red and blue marks around his neck,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki. “Investigation is on.” Pramod and his sister Ranju, 13, had been staying with their brother Binod and sister-in-law Sanjila.  

They boy was believed to have gone missing at around 8pm when Ranju and Binod were not at their home. 

The boy’s father Umesh Prasad said he suspected his daughter-in-law’s hand in the crime “for property reasons” and demanded a fair probe. Binod and Sanjila had married without the consent of their families. The body has been sent to Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital for autopsy.