Sanitation workers cleaning a toilet on the Kushinagar Express were shocked to find the body of a seven-year-old boy stuffed inside the dustbin at 1 am on Saturday. The gruesome discovery was made while the train was at platform number 4 of Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Kurla. The Kurla Government Railway Police (GRP) are now on the hunt for the boy’s cousin, Vikas Saha, 26, who is suspected of kidnapping the child and strangling him on the train.

According to the police, Saha kidnapped the minor from Amroli in Surat, Gujarat, on Friday and brought him to Mumbai. He allegedly strangled the boy inside the bathroom of AC coach B2 and dumped the body before fleeing. Blood spatters were also found at the spot. The child’s body has since been moved to Rajawadi Hospital for autopsy. “His family has reached the hospital,” an official added. 

The boy’s family registered a missing case in Amroli on Friday

A senior officer confirmed that they identified the victim and accused after finding a link to a kidnapping case registered on Friday in Amroli. Amroli Police had been tracking Saha through his mobile location, but before they could reach him, he had killed the child, officials revealed. 

Police sources said the victim’s father works abroad, while Saha had moved from Bihar to Surat just two weeks ago in search of work. Police also revealed that the deceased was close to the accused, which is why he accompanied him willingly from Surat. Saha reportedly alighted at Dadar station with the child and they then boarded a local train to LTT. Spotting the Kushinagar Express standing at the platform, he entered the AC coach and committed the murder, said cops. Police suspect personal tensions within the family may have played a role in the crime, although a clear motive is yet to be established. 

Kurla GRP is coordinating with Surat Police to track Saha down. Officials said he is on the run in the city, frequently turning off his phone, which is making it difficult to track him. However, special teams have been formed to trail him. 

This article first appeared on Mid Day