A three-year-old boy, who went allegedly missing from the national capital six days ago, was found dead at a sugarcane field in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The Delhi Police said that it is suspected that the accused boy, who has been arrested and is also a neighbor of the victim, had allegedly kidnapped the minor intending to sexually abuse him.

The headless body of the three-year-old boy was found near the Meerut-Pauri national highway in Meerut by a local farmer, who had gone to work in the field on Tuesday morning, along with his friend. They saw the body of the child, which was being eaten by stray dogs.

The accused along with the child had gone missing from the Chitra Vihar Jhuggi area near east Delhi's Preet Vihar on November 30. A case of kidnapping was registered at the Preet Vihar police station and during the investigation, efforts were made to search both the children in the nearby area and places where the alleged boy could stay but no clue could be found, said a police officer.

"On Tuesday, information was received from the accused's uncle that he (the accused) has come to Delhi and presently is with him at his residence in Jagatpuri. Thereafter, a police team was sent to the location and the accused was taken into custody," said Amrutha Guguloth, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (East).

"On questioning, he (accused) revealed that he left the child in a sugarcane field at Meerut. Thereafter, a team was sent to Meerut on the instance of the accused boy but the local police of Incholi police station had already discovered a dead body without head and limb. The head was also found nearby and it was informed by the local police that the corpse has been shifted to the local mortuary," the police officer added.

"The accused has been arrested and further investigation of the case is in progress. The documents recovered from his house ascertained his age to be above 18 years. Further investigation is in process and legal action is being taken," said the officer.

Police said that he (the accused) has not confessed to the killing of the child yet. The sections of murder have also been added to the FIR.

A protest, which also led to a massive traffic jam, was also witnessed outside the Preet Vihar police station on Tuesday after the news of the child's death spread in the area.

The locals and the family members raised slogans against the police and staged a protest outside the police station seeking justice for the victim. (KB/IANS)