Gorakhpur (UP), Jan 24 (PTI) Two boys, aged 12 and 14, were found dead with their throats slit in a mustard field in Bhaksa village under the Sahjanwa police station area here, officials said on Friday.

The victims, identified as cousins Prince (12) and Abhishek (14), had been missing since Thursday evening.

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According to reports, the boys, both students of Class 5 and Class 6, respectively, were last seen playing in the village around 5 pm. Despite frantic searches by their families, they did not return home, police said.

The discovery was made on Friday when their naked bodies, with throats slit, were found in the fields, police added.

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Prince's hands were tied, while the Abhishek had both hands and feet bound. The killers had stuffed cloth into their mouths, presumably to silence them, police said.

Prince, a resident of Nawapar village in Chilua Tal area of Gorakhpur, was visiting his maternal uncle Indresh in Bhaksa.

Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover said, "A missing report was filed on Thursday evening after the boys did not return. Their bodies were recovered the next day. Evidence is being collected, and a thorough investigation is underway."

SSP Grover assured that the perpetrators would be identified soon and given the strictest punishment. Police teams are working on multiple leads to crack the case swiftly, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)