Kuzhur: The police on Thursday, have ruled the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing from Kuzhur in Thrissur as murder. A 22-year-old man has been taken into custody.

The child, identified as Abel, son of Ajish, was found lifeless in a pond adjacent to his residence. Abel had gone missing earlier in the evening. His body was later recovered during a search operation jointly conducted by police personnel and local residents.

CCTV footage from a nearby building showed Abel running along the road with a young man from the area. The police launched an enquiry into the identity of the person seen with the child. The man, identified as Jojo, has been taken into custody. Police say he has a criminal background. He is currently being questioned.

According to family members, Abel had left home after 6 pm, telling them he was going to play with his friends. When he failed to return even after nightfall, the family grew anxious and reported the matter to the police. Other children who had been playing with him told the police that Abel had left the group earlier, saying he was heading home.

Later that evening, around 9:30 pm, Abel’s body was found in the pond near his house.