The body of a schoolboy, abducted from Balarampur Tantipara village in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh district on Thursday night, was found in a pond at Chilahati Sarkarpara village in the upazila on Monday evening.

Police recovered the body of Payel, 15, a Class X student of Phulbari High School in the upazila at around 7:00pm. They arrested three people in connection with the abduction and murder.

Local union parishad chairman Md Shahidul Alam said Payel, 15, son of Sultan Ali of Balarampur Tantipara village, went missing  on Thursday night. Later a gang demanded Tk 3lakh as ransom from Payel's father Sultan Ali over cellphone, the chairman added.  

Victim's uncle Mohir Uddin filed a general diary (GD) with Debiganj Police Station the following day.

Police on Monday arrested three people. They are Nuruzzaman, 28, Farhad Hossain, 23, of Tantipara village in Debiganj upazila; and Abdur Rahman, 23, son of Bara Bau of Kajoldighi village in Boda upazila of Panchagarh.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees confessed to killing the boy after abduction and dumping the body into the pond at Chilahati Sarkarpara village.

On the basis of their statements, police recovered Payel's body and sent it to Panchagarh Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Officer-in-Charge Kaiser Ali of Debiganj Police Station said victim's father Sultan Ali filed a murder case with the police station, accusing the three.