Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) A 17-year-old boy was found dead with his body stuffed inside a sack and dumped among

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) A 17-year-old boy was found dead with his body stuffed inside a sack and dumped among

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) A 17-year-old boy was found dead with his body stuffed inside a sack and dumped among

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) A 17-year-old boy was found dead with his body stuffed inside a sack and dumped among banana plants in an isolated plot at Pangappara near Sreekaryam here on Monday, sending shockwaves through the locality.

The victim, identified as Abhiram, had been missing since Sunday afternoon. His parents approached the Sreekaryam police after he failed to return home. His body was found during the investigation following the questioning of some of his friends.

The preliminary examination suggested that the boy had been strangled to death, a police officer said. Several persons, including minors, have been taken into custody for questioning.

However, no arrests have been made so far, and the police are yet to reach a definitive conclusion about the circumstances surrounding the death.

A senior police officer told reporters that according to a preliminary investigation, the reason for the murder appears to be "connected to a relationship".

The strain in the relationship and the resultant issues between friends led to the incident, he said, adding that there is a confession.

"Further details will be available during the course of the investigation," he added.

The officer said that all the people currently in custody are involved in the case which has been converted from a missing person case to a murder case.

"We have some people in custody and are examining if more persons were involved in the incident," he said.

He also said that one of the persons in custody -- Umar -- was an "active participant" in the incident and was involved in other criminal cases, including robbery.

According to reports, Abhiram left home around 3 pm on Sunday, telling his family that he was going to meet a friend.

He later called his father and said he would return soon.

His phone was switched off thereafter, prompting the family to lodge a missing-person complaint at the Sreekaryam police station.

The body was found among banana plants in a deserted plot nearly two kilometres from the main road. Though houses are located in the surrounding area, the particular spot is relatively isolated and can be reached only after walking some distance.

The police and forensic experts examined the spot and collected evidence.

Some of the victim's friends were reportedly familiar with the area, which they used to visit. A few of them had searched the surrounding area on Sunday but apparently failed to notice the body.

Reports suggest that an Instagram message was sent from a girl's account asking Abhiram to come to the location. Police are examining this aspect.

There are also reports of the possible involvement of a girl, another minor boy and an adult in the incident. However, these details have not been officially confirmed by the police.

Meanwhile, the family is struggling to come to terms with the loss and wants to know what led to the killing.

"We are not asking for anything else. We just want to know what our child did wrong. He was still studying. All we want is to know what happened to him," a family member said.

"Perhaps he had fallen in love with girls. We are not denying that. But is this the way to deal with such a matter? Just tell us what mistake he made. When we have to take our child to the grave, all we want to know is what he did wrong," the family member said.

Further details are expected after the post-mortem examination. The police said the investigation was continuing.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)