Body is present in hunt for lacking college pupil, 20, weeks after he was caught on CCTV operating down busy highway on the night time he vanished

Police hunting for a missing university student have tragically discovered a body – four weeks after he was spotted sprinting down a busy street on CCTV.

Aryan Sharma, 20, was last seen on the outskirts of Loughborough, Leicestershire, at around 12.30am on November 22.

The robotics student left his accommodation at around 9.30pm the night before and was last spotted walking towards Stanford-on-the-Soar before he disappeared. 

His heartbroken family previously said they ‘just want to find him safe’.

However, Leicestershire Police today confirmed a body had been discovered in the nearby River Soar.

Although formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed to be Aryan and his family are being supported by specialist officers.

In a statement, the force said: ‘A body has been found following extensive searches for a Loughborough student who was reported missing. 

‘Aryan Sharma was last seen on CCTV in Meadow Lane, on the outskirts of Loughborough, at around 12.30am on Saturday 22 November.

‘On Sunday evening (14 December), following a report was that a body had been seen in the River Soar in Normanton on Soar. Officers from the force’s Tactical Support Team (TST) and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) were deployed.

Mr Sharma left his accommodation at around 9.30pm and was last spotted walking towards Stanford-on-the-Soar before he disappeared 

CCTV footage shows Aryan Sharma running down a street on the night he mysteriously vanished

Although formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed to be Aryan and his family are being supported by specialist officers. 

‘Following a search of the river, a body was located. Although formal identification is yet to take place, it is believed to be Aryan.

‘Specialist officers have been continuing to provide support to his family, who have asked for privacy at this time.

‘A file will be prepared for HM Coroner.’

The family of the robotics student told previously how they had ‘just wanted to find him safe’.

Aryan’s cousin Jagi Sawhney, speaking on behalf of the family, said at the time: ‘We are devastated as a family.

‘We just want to find him safe. He’s loved by this family. He is an older brother, he’s a cousin, he’s one of the five boys of this family.

‘Our biggest concern now is that no one in the family has spoken to him since at least Friday.

‘It’s been really cold since he has been missing, and we haven’t been able to get in contact with him. We just want him to be okay, and we want him to come home to his mum.

‘Please help locate him. He’s loved by everyone in this family, and we just want him home safely.

‘No matter how small the information might be, please support the investigation and share that information with police so that we can just find him and get him home.

‘If Aryan sees this, we want him to know how loved he is. We want him to know how much we all just want him to come home.

‘He is a loved grandson, son and uncle. Everyone is rallying around to try and find him.’