3 min readMumbaiMar 2, 2026 12:12 AM IST
The Bhandup police have detained three minors for allegedly killing their 14-year-old friend and dumping his body in Vihar Lake to make it appear as an accidental drowning.
The crime came to light after the post-mortem report ruled out drowning and revealed that the boy, Siddharth Londhe, had died due to a severe head injury caused by a blunt object. “There was no water content in his lungs or abdomen. He died due to a head injury,” said an officer involved in the investigation.
The three accused, aged between 14 and 15, were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Saturday and sent to the Dongri remand home. One of them was Siddharth’s classmate, while the other two studied in Class 8 at another school in Bhandup. All four boys lived in the same locality in Bhandup West.
Siddharth, a Class 8 student, lived in Tulshet Pada with his parents and younger brother. His father works as an electrician in Andheri.
On February 22, Siddharth left home around 3 pm after lunch, telling his parents he was going out to play. When he did not return by evening, his family began searching and later approached Bhandup police, who registered a kidnapping case as he was a minor.
The next day, Siddharth’s grey T-shirt and black slippers were found near Vihar Lake. The fire brigade was called in and his body was recovered from the lake later that evening. Initially, an Accidental Death Report was registered, with police suspecting drowning.
During questioning, two of the boys told police they had gone swimming and claimed Siddharth drowned while they tried to rescue him. As the post mortem report was awaited, they were allowed to leave.
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However, the post-mortem report received on February 26 contradicted their version. Police summoned the boys again and interrogated them separately. They allegedly confessed to assaulting Siddharth.
According to police, the boys were upset with Siddharth and allegedly found him to be arrogant. They decided to “teach him a lesson” and took him near the lake. One of them allegedly hit him on the leg with a bamboo stick. As Siddharth bent down in pain, another boy struck him on the back of the head with a stick, causing a fatal injury.
“When they realised he was not breathing, they panicked. They removed his T-shirt and slippers, placed them near the shore and dumped the body in the lake to make it look like he had drowned,” said an officer.
Police have registered a case of murder and further investigation is underway.
