Investigation into murdered boy who disappeared in 1981 reopens

Police are reopening the case of an eight-year-old boy who went missing on his way home from shops 42 years ago.

Vishal Mehrotra vanished near his home in Putney on the day of the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981. 

Seven months later, his remains were found in a woodland near the village of Rogate, West Sussex.

Sussex Police are reopening the case following the recent findings of a nine-part BBC podcast called Vishal that looks into the murdered boy’s disappearance.

Four years ago, when reviewing an unconnected case, Sussex Police had missed that a convicted paedophile, Nicholas Douglass, had written a document entitled Vishal a year after Vishal’s remains were found.

The document was found by police in 1996 in the context of a separate investigation, but it wasn’t until 2019 during the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that any potential link was made to the murder of Vishal.

The BBC asked Douglass about the name of this document in 2020.

Douglass told the BBC: “It’s the first name that came into my head because it had been in the press. 

“It was the first Asian name I could think of. That’s the honest truth.”

Sussex Police detectives visited Vishal’s father on May 10 to tell him that all viable lines of enquiry from the podcast were being pursued.

The force also apologised for the oversight regarding Douglass, which they admit had a potential link to Vishal’s death. 

Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman, from Sussex Police, said: “We acknowledge the ongoing distress to Mr Mehrotra and Vishal’s wider family and their need to find answers to what happened to Vishal in 1981.

“The force is committed to identifying those responsible for Vishal’s tragic death and to delivering justice for Vishal and his family.

“Extensive and thorough police enquiries have been completed to date but we remain open to and welcome any new information, and officers will continue to follow up on any reasonable and viable lines of enquiry.”

Anyone with information relating to the case is urged to get in touch with police online or by calling 101 quoting Operation Moor. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Pictured top: Vishal Mehrotra (Picture: Family handout)