Body of Missing Man Recovered After December 2025 Hit-and-Run Involving Police Officer

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The body of a 43-year-old man, who disappeared following a traffic accident involving a local police officer in December 2025, was recovered from the Dustlik Canal in the Tashkent region on February 28. The discovery ends a months-long search that drew national attention to allegations of a cover-up by law enforcement.

According to the victim's brother, Shahzod Ummatkulov, the body was located at approximately 10:30 AM, partially buried in sand and obscured by brush. The recovery site was roughly four kilometers downstream from the location where investigators believe the victim was dumped into the water.

The search operation had previously seen the temporary closure of a section of the canal by order of the Tashkent regional hokim (governor). Approximately 150 people, including Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) divers, local residents, and the victim's relatives, had combed the area without success until the water levels and conditions allowed for the discovery last Friday.

The investigation into the incident, which occurred on December 11, 2025, on the Buka-Bekabad highway, suggests a grim sequence of events. A police officer, allegedly operating a Nexia-3 while intoxicated, struck the pedestrian. According to reports from Kun.uz, the officer then summoned his wife to the scene in a second vehicle, a Matiz. The victim was reportedly transferred between the cars and transported approximately 35 to 40 kilometers away before being thrown into the canal.

The district prosecutor's office has filed formal charges against the suspect under two specific articles of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan: Article 266, Part 2 (Violation of safety rules for the movement or operation of vehicles resulting in death) and Article 117, Part 2 (Leaving a person in danger resulting in death).

The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues. The recovery of the remains is expected to provide critical forensic evidence regarding the cause of death and whether the victim was still alive when placed in the water.