High Schooler Beaten Up, Fatally Strangled With His School Tie; Body Found Wearing Schoolbag

A high school boy was strangled to death with his school tie before his body was dumped in an isolated area near a train track in India.

Investigators are now looking into a theory that the victim, identified as Ronit Sarkar, a grade 12 student, was murdered over a friendship or a love affair that went sour.

Sarkar was found dead Tuesday in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was still wearing his schoolbag and had 10 injury marks across his body when he was located, Mid-Day reported.

A post-mortem report confirmed Wednesday that he was strangled to death using his own school tie.

Local police have so far questioned six suspects in connection with the death of the boy, whom they believe was murdered by people he knew. The cops are also probing the theory of a friendship or an affair gone sour, Hindustan Times reported.

The spot where the body was found is in an isolated area that is not frequently visited by people. Locals reportedly said some youngsters drink or smoke in the area.

Beer bottles, cigarette butts and some food items were found in the same area where the victim was found.

The post-mortem report also suggested that the boy was beaten up before being strangled with the tie he was wearing at the time. Injury marks were found on his head, leg, chest, stomach and back, police said, according to the outlet.

The victim's father, Sanjay Sarkar, said his son seemed to have been killed at another spot before his body was dumped near the train tracks.

"The body remained in this forest area throughout the night. Had Ronit come here on foot, there should have been mud on his shoes, but this was not the case," the father said, as per the outlet.

Meanwhile, one officer said the circumstances around the discovery of the boy's body "are very unusual."

"The place where his body is found is rarely frequented," the officer said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

"The body was on its stomach and the school bag was on the shoulders," he added. "Ronit's watch was untouched."

Hundreds of people, including the victim's parents, gathered Wednesday night and participated in a candlelight march from his house to his school. Some protested against the police's failure to arrest the suspects and demanded action in the case within 24 hours.