Melbourne:
Grieving parents of Indian toddler Gurshan Singh Channa, who was found dead here, have cancelled their tickets to India as they are waiting to take back their son's body, which they want to cremate at home.
Harpreet Kaur Channa and Harjit Singh Channa saw the body of their three-year old son for the first time today at the Coroner's Court.
The two want to bid farewell Gurshan in his home town in Punjab, said Vasan Srinivasan, Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria President, who is in close contact with the family and officials.
"They want to take the body back and cremate it. They want to return home, but our advice is to wait until the body is released and the police investigation is over," he said.
Meanwhile, investigators are believed to be leaning away from the theory that Gurshan had fallen victim to a random attack, according to a Herald Sun report.
A possibility is that he died of natural causes and someone panicked and disposed of his body, it said, adding police hope further testing, including toxicology, can provide some answers.
According to latest media reports, the couple left to see the body along with Indian consulate officials and then left the coroner's office about an hour later, in separate cars.
The mother of the toddler returned silent and still, along by two weeping friends while the father arrived an hour later, stony-faced and grim.
The father's cousin, Ramen Deep Singh, who also viewed the boy's body, struggled to say how the parents were coping.
"It was a very hard moment for us. They are totally broken-hearted, depressed. It was very hard for us to take care of them," he said.
"Gurshan's mother, in particular, was totally depressed. The whole family is very upset. They (police) are saying to us they will get the results very soon," he said.
Forensic experts were carrying out extensive tests, including toxicology tests to see if the boy was poisoned. The tests would take several days to give results.
Police have not said if they have any suspects and have appealed for help from anyone who saw Gurshan after he disappeared from a Lalor rental property, which his parents shared with friends and family, about 12.30 pm last Thursday.
His body was found by the side of the road in Oaklands Junction, 20 kilometres away, six hours later. The body showed no signs of trauma and an autopsy failed to establish a cause.
FIAV and Indian consulate are closely working to help the family and have agreed to pay the cost of USD 6000 to 7000 to take Gurshan's body home when it is released to the family.
"His parents are struggling to cope and we want to help them any way we can... They are planning to do the cremation in India because their entire family is there. So they want to take him back there," Srinivasan said.
A police caravan will be operational tomorrow where the body was found hoping someone comes forward with information.
'The Age' said it was believed investigation was focusing on the 12 adults who had access to the house in David Street, Lalor, from which Gurshan disappeared.