Vishal Mehrotra: Sussex Police to re-examine case of murdered boy

Vishal Mehrotra disappeared from London in July 1981, and was found in Rogate, West Sussex, seven months later

Sussex Police is to re-examine the case of a murdered schoolboy who vanished in 1981.

Vishal Mehrotra went missing from west London, and his remains were found in woods in West Sussex, months later.

Police told Vishal's father Vishambar Mehrotra on a visit to his house that detectives had been given "clear direction" to "advance" the case.

It comes after the launch of a new BBC Podcast "Vishal", which included new information on the case.

The eight-year-old boy vanished as he walked home from shops 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 woodland near the village of Rogate.

Vishal's father had previously accused Sussex Police of not fully investigating Vishal's case - a claim that police deny.

After he was told by senior officers on Wednesday that a number of lines of inquiry would be re-examined, he said: "Well, I am very pleased but I am also sceptical because I am not so sure how much and when they are going to actually investigate."

• Listen to Vishal: A nine-part podcast on BBC Sounds

During the visit, police also apologised to Mr Mehrotra for failing to make a potential link in the 1990's between a document found in the possession of a paedophile and Vishal's murder.

Four years ago, when reviewing an unconnected case, Sussex Police discovered it had missed that a convicted paedophile, Nicholas Douglass, had written a document he titled 'Vishal', which he finished a year after Vishal's remains were found.

The BBC tracked down Douglass in 2020 and asked him why he named the document 'Vishal'.

Douglass said: "It's the first [name] that came into my head because it had been in the press. [There was] massive publicity and at the time.

"It was the first Asian name I could think of. That's the honest truth."

Sussex Police have been contacted by the BBC for comment.

The force had previously said the case had been the subject of "extensive and thorough police inquiries" and the investigation into Vishal's murder was still open.

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