Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Vishal Mehrotra murder: Sussex Police to re-examine 42-year-old case

Vishal, aged 8 at the time, disappeared as he walked home from shops in Putney after watching the royal wedding of Charles and Diana on July 29, 1981

Vishal Mehrotra murder: Sussex Police to re-examine 42-year-old case

Sussex Police have said they will “re-examine” the case of the schoolboy Vishal Mehrotra who was found dead months after his mysterious disappearance from London more than 40 years ago.

Vishal, aged 8 at the time, disappeared as he walked home from shops in Putney after watching the royal wedding of Charles and Diana on July 29, 1981.

His partial remains were discovered in an isolated farm near the village of Rogate in Sussex in February 1982 but his killers were never found despite investigators interviewing more than 14,000 people.

Senior police officers met Vishal’s father Vishambar at his home on Wednesday (10) and told him that detectives had been directed to “advance” the case and several lines of inquiry would be re-examined.

The assurance follows a BBC podcast which revealed new information on the case, including a potential link between the murder and the document titled ‘Vishal’ written by convicted child sex offender Nicholas Douglass.

Vishal’s remains were found buried in a bog at a depth of around two feet on a property where Douglass is known to have abused children.

Vishambar, who last month criticised the police for their failure to re-investigate the murder, expressed doubts about the extent of the new investigation.

“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," Vishambar told the BBC.

Earlier this year, a Channel 4 documentary series titled ‘In the Footsteps of Killers’ uncovered a diary, suggesting the notorious paedophilic gang leader and fairground worker Sidney Cooke was in the area where Vishal’s body was found.

Cooke, 95, convicted of several sex offences committed between 1972 and 1981, has been serving two life sentences. He and other members of his gang including Leslie Bailey were jailed for the manslaughter of Jason Swift, a 14-year-old boy.

More For You

Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mandelson-Getty

Starmer dismissed Mandelson on Thursday after reading emails published by Bloomberg in which Mandelson defended Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Minister says Mandelson should never have been appointed

A CABINET minister has said Peter Mandelson should not have been made UK ambassador to the US, as criticism mounted over prime minister Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, told the BBC that Mandelson’s appointment was seen as “high-risk, high-reward” but that newly revealed emails changed the situation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shivani Raja MP leads fight to save Leicester Diwali celebrations

Shivani Raja MP

Shivani Raja MP leads fight to save Leicester Diwali celebrations

TWO Conservative MPs have launched a petition to stop Leicester City Council cutting back this year's Diwali celebrations.

Shivani Raja, MP for Leicester East, and Neil O'Brien, who represents nearby Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, started the Change.org petition on Wednesday (10) after the council announced plans to remove key elements from the October 20 event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian American hotel employee beheaded in Dallas

Chandra Nagamallaiah (R) was stabbed and beheaded on duty; Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was arrested and charged for the killing.

Indian American hotel employee beheaded in Dallas

A STAFF MEMBER at Downtown Suites Dallas, US, was killed on Wednesday (10) morning. Chandra Nagamallaiah, 50, was stabbed and beheaded on duty in front of his wife and son, according to reports.

Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, was arrested and charged in the killing, which reportedly stemmed from an argument over a broken washing machine, media reports said, citing the Dallas Police Department.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

Residents sit in a rescue boat as they evacuate following monsoon rains and rising water levels in the Chenab River, in Basti Khan Bela, on the outskirts of Jalalpur Pirwala, Punjab province, Pakistan, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Quratulain Asim

Deadly Pakistan floods force over two million to flee their homes

OVER two million people have been forced to leave their homes as devastating floods continue to sweep across Pakistan's eastern regions, authorities announced.

The worst-hit area is Punjab province, where more than two million residents have been evacuated. An additional 150,000 people have fled Sindh province, according to national disaster management chief Inam Haider Malik, who warned that the "number may rise over the coming days".

Keep ReadingShow less