PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 3 -- Hours after the body of a 7-year-old boy was found murdered in Chaubepur village under the Antu police station limits in Pratapgarh, the child's father fled his home late Monday night as police began suspecting his involvement, officials said. Despite police personnel being posted outside the house, the man allegedly escaped by removing bricks from the rear wall, they added. His disappearance was noticed on Tuesday morning, prompting a search operation. The incident occurred on the night of October 30 after the child went to attend a wedding procession in the village. Around 7 am the next morning, his body was found about 200 metres away in a mustard field. Preliminary investigation suggested he had been struck on the head with a heavy object, police said. Following the discovery, family dynamics came under scrutiny. The boy's mother had been staying at her parental home for the past 15 days, initially drawing suspicion. However, after she arrived and identified the body, she accused her husband of involvement. Police examined the phone records of individuals who had contacted her but found no evidence implicating her. Based on her statement, attention increasingly shifted toward the father, who reportedly failed to give satisfactory answers during questioning. Though police maintained a presence at the house during the child's last rites on Monday, the accused father managed to flee during the night. A search, extended to neighbouring police stations and the homes of relatives, has so far yielded no results. "Both the mother and other family members were questioned after the incident. The father was to be brought in for further questioning after the funeral, but he escaped during the night. Our teams are searching for him at relatives' places and other potential locations," said Prashant Raj Hudda, CO (City)....