The body of a 43-year-old man was found in Dustlik Canal in Tashkent province. Investigation found that he had been hit by a police officer's car last December, then driven to the canal and dumped in the water.
According to relatives, the body was found on February 28. "My brother's body was found in Dustlik Canal around 10:30 a.m. today. It was buried under sand," said relative Shahzod Ummatkulov.
The body was found under bushes approximately 4 km downstream from the spot where the police officer and his wife allegedly dumped it.
Earlier, with the assistance of the Tashkent province governor, part of the canal was blocked off. After the water level receded, rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, local residents, and the victim's relatives—approximately 150 people in total—conducted a search. The body was not recovered at that time.
What happened
On December 11, 2025, on Buka-Bekabad highway, a police officer driving a GM Nexia 3 struck a 43-year-old man.
After the accident, he called his wife and asked her to come over in a GM Matiz. The victim was transferred from Nexia to the Matiz and driven away from the scene. Investigators believe the man was thrown into the water approximately 35-40 km from the accident site.
The district prosecutor's office opened a criminal case under Violation of traffic safety rules or vehicle operation, resulting in death charge and the Aabandonment of another person, resulting in death charges of the Criminal Code. The suspect was taken into custody.
