London: The UK's police watchdog today launched an investigation into Scotland Yard's handling of the death of an Indian-origin teenager last year.
Krishna Chummun had been reported missing last August after he failed to return to his north London home from a football match.
His body was recovered from the river Thames in central London last October.
They also claim officers assumed their son had committed suicide because he had earlier sent a text from his phone saying he planned to kill himself.
His father added: "He was always jovial and happy. I am a psychiatric-trained nurse and if my son was suicidal I would have known. He was full of life. We believe from day one that the police did not take this case seriously. They just put it down as a suicide and did not investigate."
The Metropolitan police said there were serious difficulties in identifying Krishna because his body was severely decomposed after being in the water for so long, and because he had been wearing a different shoe size and clothes to those he had been wearing when reported missing.
A Metropolitan spokesperson said: "Officers interviewed several people close to Mr Chummun, conducted house-to-house enquiries and completed mobile phone cell site analysis in an effort to locate him.
"We would again like to emphasise our sympathy to the family and acknowledge their loss," said the spokesperson.
Krishna Chummun had been reported missing last August after he failed to return to his north London home from a football match.
His body was recovered from the river Thames in central London last October.
They also claim officers assumed their son had committed suicide because he had earlier sent a text from his phone saying he planned to kill himself.
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His father added: "He was always jovial and happy. I am a psychiatric-trained nurse and if my son was suicidal I would have known. He was full of life. We believe from day one that the police did not take this case seriously. They just put it down as a suicide and did not investigate."
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The Metropolitan police said there were serious difficulties in identifying Krishna because his body was severely decomposed after being in the water for so long, and because he had been wearing a different shoe size and clothes to those he had been wearing when reported missing.
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A Metropolitan spokesperson said: "Officers interviewed several people close to Mr Chummun, conducted house-to-house enquiries and completed mobile phone cell site analysis in an effort to locate him.
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"We would again like to emphasise our sympathy to the family and acknowledge their loss," said the spokesperson.
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