Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Closure: Search for Missing Child's Remains Intensifies
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Japur, March 3 (NationPress) The hunt for the skeletal remains of four-year-old Tillu, also known as Prince, who vanished six years ago within the jurisdiction of the Bandikui police station in Rajasthan's Dausa district, has now entered its third day as of Tuesday.
This operation was prompted after the suspect indicated the location where the child's body might have been interred during the investigation.
The excavation process, which commenced on Sunday, is being conducted along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, leading to the closure of three out of five lanes. Additionally, the police have utilized drone technology to survey an area spanning approximately one kilometer.
Efforts have intensified following new information in the murder inquiry. On Monday, extensive digging was done over an 80-meter stretch that spanned about four meters wide and reached nearly 12 feet deep, employing JCB machines and heavy excavators. Despite these efforts, no skeletal remains have been found, prompting officials to continue digging on Tuesday.
Sources reveal that the excavator in use costs approximately Rs 10,500 per hour and consumes nearly 20 liters of diesel for the same duration. On the first day of the operation, workers used a milling machine to remove the road surface, subsequently pinpointing sensitive areas with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology.
According to indications given by the suspect—specifically near a peepal tree—two to three highly sensitive zones were designated for further investigation.
A GPR machine from Sweden, brought in from Jaipur, scanned the site for close to five hours, probing the ground to a depth of about six meters. The technical team searched for signs of pits, voids, or other unusual underground anomalies, marking suspected locations for excavation.
Additional Superintendent of Police Yogendra Faujdar, Station House Officer Zaheer Abbas, Tehsildar Rajesh Saini, and other senior officials are on-site to supervise the operation.
Authorities have stated that the excavation will proceed using scientific methods until every identified location is thoroughly examined.
Due to the ongoing operations, traffic has been suspended on three lanes of the expressway, while two lanes are still open for use.
Barriers have been erected, and certain sections have been filled with soil to ensure safety standards.
Family members and local residents have been present at the site, hoping for resolution in the six-year-old case. Despite continuous efforts, the remains have yet to be discovered, leaving the family in ongoing distress as the search moves forward.
Prince, a resident of Ramdeva Ki Dhani in the Bandikui police station area of Dausa district, was tragically murdered on August 16, 2020. His neighbor and a young man, along with his sister, conspired to take Prince's life and bury him beneath the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
Both suspects were apprehended around 15 days ago. During questioning, they confessed to the murder and burial of Prince's body under the expressway. Since that time, police have been diligently working to recover Prince's remains.