Ramgarh police on Tuesday recovered the body of 14-year-old Gautam Kumar Mahto from a well at Murpa village under Gola police station area.

He was missing from Monday afternoon, when he had left home on his bicycle.

Police suspect that Gautam was murdered and his body thrown into the well to make it look like a case of accidental death or suicide.

“There are injury marks on his body including head,” said a Ramgarh police official.

“Such kinds of injuries are not possible in the case of suicide and even if he accidentally fell into the well. The well where the body was found is in an agricultural field of a farmer; there is no possibility the boy would venture here,” the official added.

Gautam was the only child of Dashrath Mahto, a farmer from Korambe village of the district. Dashrath also sells flower at the famous Rajrappa temple.

Gautam was a student of class seven at Oxford Academy School in Marangmarch village.

Family members told the police that Gautam left his home on Monday morning on his bicycle to participate in the Durga Puja at the Rajrappa temple.

When he did not return by 2pm, the family members started searching for him and also lodged a missing case with the local police.

In the evening, the cops found Gautam’s bicycle near the temple.

“We are collecting CCTV footage of the temple,” said the police official.

“His parents and family members are also being questioned about whether they or the deceased had any dispute with anybody. The body was sent to Sadar hospital for post-mortem and an FIR has been lodged,” he added.