Meerut, Oct. 8 -- A 16-year-old boy was found murdered in Bareilly district on Tuesday, police said. A day ago, he was reportedly thrashed by some men for stealing a mobile phone at a local market. The youngster's hands were tied behind his back, and his body was found face down in a water-filled ditch near Lohari village in the Bisharatganj area on the Aliganj-Aonla route. Police have detained two suspects for questioning. The deceased, identified as Asin Raj, originally from Bisakhedi village in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district, lived with his family in a makeshift hut near Bareilly Junction. He made a living by selling necklaces and idols in local markets and nearby villages. On Sunday, he went to the Gaini weekly market in the Aliganj police station area to sell his wares, but did not return home. According to his cousin Shekhar, Asin left market around 4pm on Monday. When he did not return for hours, the family began searching for him. The next morning, his body was found in a ditch along roadside. In her written complaint to the police, Asin's sister Eenisna alleged that a group of men involved in illegal extortion from vendors at the Gaini market had detained and beaten her brother. She claimed that after assaulting him, they took him away from the market, following which he was found dead. Asin's relatives claimed that he was accused of stealing a mobile phone in the market and was then beaten by a group of local men. One of the men, who allegedly claimed to have served in the army, was last seen taking Asin away. When police recovered the body, Asin's hands were found tied behind his back, and a scarf was wrapped around his neck. He had visible injuries near his chin and head. Initially, it was suspected that he was strangled, but the post-mortem confirmed death by drowning. Investigators believe that the victim's hands were tied before he was forcibly held underwater until he suffocated. Superintendent of police (South) Anshika Verma said, "Post-mortem confirmed death due to drowning. However, given tied hands and visible injuries, it is clearly a case of murder. A complaint has been filed based on the sister's statement. The extortion racket at Gaini market is also under investigation."...