11 January 2024 , 19:55
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For many Londoners, the date of July 29, 1981, remains unforgettable - with the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer filling the city with pomp and splendour.
For the family of eight-year-old Vishal Mehrotra however, this particular date is etched into their memories for a harrowing reason, after the little boy vanished while jubilant crowds celebrated in the streets. Vishal and his younger sister Mamta had watched the glittering Royal procession from the window of their solicitor father Vishambar's office, near Fleet Street.
The family stayed there until 12.30 pm, before boarding a train at Temple Station, disembarking at East Putney just over an hour later. Exhausted after the exultant celebrations, dad Vishambar headed home for a nap, leaving his two children in the care of their live-in nanny, Joannita Carvalho. Before he left, Vishambar treated Vishal and Mamta to 20p each to buy sweets. It was the last time he saw his son alive.
Vishal was said to be a 'highly intelligent' and 'friendly' boy (Mirrorpix)
A day of national celebration descended into tragedy (Mirrorpix)The Sussex Police Report, dated January 1983, states Joanna took her two young charges to a newsagent in Upper Richmond Road, before deciding to walk to Putney High Street to purchase some cough medicine to treat their sore throats. But Vishal was exhausted, and asked to head home and join his father.
The nanny agreed and watched Vishal, described as a 'highly intelligent' boy who had previously travelled unaccompanied back and forth to school by train, cross the main road safely. She and Mamta returned home at approximately 3pm, to find no trace of Vishal. It was initially assumed that the 'open, friendly' boy had headed out to play, but as the day went on, concerns grew, and he was reported missing at 7pm that evening.
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A former neighbour and playmate of Vishal's, Matthew, later chillingly recalled on the investigate podcast Vishal: "The nation was playing at princes and princesses . . . And yet the dark side of that fairytale is something very folk tale-ish: the abduction and murder of a child."
While Londoners toasted the new Prince and Princess of Wales, Vishal's family grew increasingly worried (Getty Images)For seven long months, Vishal's family endured the agony of waiting for news of their missing son. Then, on February 21, 1982, two brothers out shooting in a wooded area near the village of Rogate, West Sussex, discovered a human skull and bones, later confirmed to be the partial remains of Vishal. To this day, the circumstances surrounding Vishal's death remain a mystery, however, a Coroner's Court inquest determined that this was a case of foul play, giving an open verdict. The person responsible has never been brought to justice.
Nearly 40 years on, in April 2023, BBC podcast Vishal helped to unearth fresh material that could point to a connection to a prolific paedophile ring operating in that area during this period. This material includes a document, entitled Vishal, which was written in 1983 by a convicted paedophile about a boy he had abused. Former Scotland Yard detective Shaun Keep, who previously helped convict Stephen Lawrence's murderers, described this 'breakthrough' evidence as being 'a real significant moment' in the inquiry.
Vishal had been watching the procession from his father's office (Mirrorpix)
Fresh material was brought to light last year (Mirrorpix)During an interview with The Guardian in April, Vishambar, now a retired magistrate, criticised the police response to his son's disappearance and urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to take action. Vishambar said: "I have no faith or trust in the police service at all. In the last two to four years they have botched up any investigation they had a chance to do. They have been careless and negligent. The only person with the proper authority [to intervene] is the prime minister. He's the only person I can rely on to challenge so many things."
In May, police informed Vishal’s Vishambar that a 'clear direction' had been given to the detective to 'advance' Vishal's case, and they also issued an apology for their failure to notice a link between Vishal's murder, and the document. Although Vishambar welcomed the news, he has also expressed doubts about the thoroughness of the investigation. In a follow-up interview with The Guardian, Vishamber 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."
The person responsible for Vishal's death has never been brought to justice (Mirrorpix)DS Mark Chapman of 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."
The Mirror has reached out to Sussex Police for additional comment.
The case of Vishal Mehrotra will be explored in an episode of In the Footsteps of Killers, airing 10pm, January 11 on Channel 4