Vishal Mehrotra vanished 40 years ago, aged eight. Is this why?
Vishambar Mehrotra’s child was abducted and murdered in 1981. Despite new evidence uncovered by a BBC podcast, Sussex police have resisted calls to reinvestigate

In the lead-up to my brother's birthday on September 27th I will be posting regular updates. 

In case you hit a paywall I have pasted an excerpt from the article. 

Vishu cannot help but compare his son’s case to other cold cases where money has been no object. The disappearance of Genette Tate, the schoolgirl who disappeared in Devon in 1978, was the subject of multiple reviews, a reinvestigation and major searches even after her suspected attacker, the serial killer Robert Black, was placed behind bars for life. Millions of pounds have been spent on investigating the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann, who went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007. Sussex police themselves spent years and massive resources pursuing the convicted paedophile Russell Bishop, who was found guilty four years ago of the 1986 double killing of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, both nine, known as the Babes in the Wood murders.

Vishu sighs: “They are willing to do good things investigating white children. Vishal was the only non-white [missing child]. That’s my honest opinion. I am now convinced that the police’s attitude is cover up, cover up, cover up. It cannot be anything short of institutional racism.”

Keep and Malton, who have given Campbell advice in his inquiries over the past few years, are also perplexed. “They’ve determined it’s unsolvable, but I don’t think they’ve done enough work,” Keep says.

While he acknowledges that much of the podcast’s evidence is circumstantial, there are “too many coincidences” in the paedophile gang’s numerous potential connections to the case.

Using up some “shoe leather” and interviewing their victims and acquaintances, as well as the members of the public who reported sightings of Vishal might just yield results, he believes. “The service that the family has got for their little boy [from the police] is not the same as other cases. There should be someone who says, ‘We’re going to do this for this little boy.’ ”

Appearing exasperated, Malton believes the force has been “hugely defensive”. “It’s all very well saying there’s no evidence. But they haven’t gone to find it, Colin has. Never say never. Never give up.”

Sussex police say they have completed “two comprehensive reviews” of the case in 2005 and 2015-16, although the police watchdog has previously concluded that the earlier review did not meet the required standard.

The force say that their inquiries of the paedophile gang have been “throughly conducted and completed”, but they could not go into further details as the case remains live.

A spokeswoman says: “Sussex police is satisfied all inquiries were thorough and completed with careful consideration of all surrounding information. We are reviewing the contents of the podcast and assessing whether any further inquiries should be undertaken as a result.

“We firmly refute any suggestion that our inquiries over the past 40 years have been hampered or influenced in any way by Vishal’s ethnicity. The reports of the 1982 investigation and subsequent reviews are in the public domain and make very clear the thorough and considered nature of the detailed and painstaking work that officers and staff have carried out over the years.”

She adds: “This tragic case has been the subject of extensive and thorough police inquiries since Vishal first went missing in July 1981.

“We have maintained contact with Vishal’s family and are committed to undertaking all reasonable and viable inquiries to identify those responsible for Vishal’s death and to deliver justice for Vishal and his family. This includes examining any new information or forensic opportunities that may arise.”

Vishu recently wrote to prime minister Rishi Sunak asking for help, because he wants someone with the power to force the police to do more, but has heard nothing.

“I don’t have much time,” he says. “I want all the remains to be found, I want forensic evidence to be obtained if possible. I want scoping of the copse with modern gadgetry, I want a fresh DNA search and modern science which they have access to. I want the police to do their job.”

Sussex police say the investigation into Vishal’s murder is still open. The force can be contacted online or by calling 101 quoting Operation Moor. Information can be passed on anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Email the Sussex Police Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne at pcc@sussex-pcc-gov.uk and link this article.