Cops hunt for private parts of boy killed by ‘testicle traffickers’
BHOPAL: The murder investigation that began with a bizarre viral reel has now taken a dramatic turn beneath the waters of two vast Bhopal lakes. Police are preparing to deploy divers to search for the victim's testicles, allegedly removed by a gang of five and dumped separately after they failed to find a buyer.Inspired by a social media hoax that claimed human testicles were worth crores aborad, particularly Gulf countries, a 20-year-old BBA student assembled a gang and killed a 16-year-old boy in Bhopal.According to investigators, the gang kept the body parts packed in ice on a terrace for two days while trying to find a buyer.
When they failed, key suspect Zoheb allegedly instructed the others to dispose of them in separate water bodies to make recovery difficult.Recovering two small pieces of evidence from deep, murky water teeming with aquatic life could prove a formidable forensic challenge, police said.The suspects have been taken on remand to identify the exact spots where the organs were allegedly thrown, but recovering two small pieces of evidence from deep, murky water could prove a formidable forensic challenge, police said.ACP Santosh Patel, leading the investigation, said the suspects told police that the two testicles were dumped in Upper Lake and Lower Lake.
Divers will begin searching the two water bodies on Wednesday.Police said Zoheb, 20, allegedly bought an apron, stethoscope and thermometer online and used them while posing as a doctor before his associates. Investigators suspect he used the items to convince and train the others for the alleged extraction.
The items have been seized.The 16-year-old boy, who sold pens and keyrings around Iqbal Maidan and Moti Masjid, was allegedly murdered as part of a plan to sell his testicles for Rs 1.2 crore, police said.Investigators suspect the plan was inspired by an Instagram reel claiming human testicles could fetch crores in Gulf countries.
Police have so far found no link to an organised organ-trafficking racket. Investigators have also identified local people the gang allegedly approached to sell the organs. They are being questioned about whether any transaction was planned. Police said recovery of the organs could provide crucial evidence while reconstructing the crime and verifying the suspects' account.
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