Guwahati: The stepbrother of two minor boys, whose bodies were found in Assam’s Udalguri district on Saturday after being missing for a day, has been arrested on murder charges, police said.

Bodoland Territorial Region IGP Vivek Raj Singh said Neeraj Sharma (18) has been arrested for the double murder, with the murder weapon and a motorbike used in the crime seized.

“The two victims, Gaurav (10) and Kaushik (11), were reported missing since Friday after they left home for school. Their bodies were discovered this morning by a local resident, who alerted police,” Singh said.

“Evidence was collected from the crime scene, and suspects were questioned. During the course of the investigation, we learned that their stepbrother Neeraj was involved in the murders,” he added.

According to Singh, Neeraj had taken the boys on his motorbike to school and committed the crime in an isolated location along the way. “There is no evidence of the involvement of anyone else in the crime so far,” he confirmed.

Asked about the motive behind the murders, Singh said, “Neeraj was feeling neglected and aggrieved towards their father for the lack of attention. It seems he was depressed, but we have not found any evidence of drug addiction.”