The charred body of an eighteen-year-old youth was found in Kangeyanpalayam near Sulur on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Arulraj, son of Subramanium of Serampalayam near Kinnathukadavu. He was working in the farmland of P Ayyasamy of Therkkupalayam near Kangeyampalayam. He used to take cattle for grazing everyday to the neighbouring areas.

Arulraj has been missing since Wednesday morning. Ayyasamy searched him but could not trace him anywhere.

On Thursday morning, Ayyasamy found the charred body of Arulraj in an empty land near Kangeyampalayam and informed the Sulur police, who rushed to the spot and sent the body for postmortem to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

Following a complaint from Village Administrative Officer S. Lavanya, police registered a case under Section 174 of Cr PC (suspicious death).

Two special teams have been formed to investigate the case.

D Maruthupandian (22) of Pillaiyar Thottakkulam near Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar, who was also working as the cattle grazer in that area, has gone missing. A team of police officials have rushed to Virudhunagar in search of Maruthupandian.

A senior police official told Covai Post, Arulraj might have been murdered. “We are waiting for the postmortem report,” he said.