Odisha: Teen Murdered By Friends After Argument Over Earphones

A tragic incident occurred in Rourkela, where a 15-year-old Class 9 student was fatally attacked with stones by two of his friends following a dispute over sharing an earphone.

The victim had been missing since September 24, and his lifeless body was discovered in a wooded area along Hecket Road on September 26.

The Incident

The victim and the two accused were all students in Class IX but attended different schools. Despite this, they were close friends. On the ill-fated day, the trio had embarked on a casual bicycle outing. Near the location of the crime along Hecket Road, a disagreement arose concerning the sharing of mobile earphones. The dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which the two accused assaulted the victim with stones before fleeing the scene.

The victim had gone missing on September 24 evening, prompting his concerned parents to file a missing person report at RN Pali police station. Despite efforts by the victim's family members and neighbours to locate him, they were unable to find any leads. Eventually, the boy's family began to suspect the involvement of the two minors and provided authorities with information about their son's interactions with them.

Police Investigation Underway

Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Panposh, Upasana Padhi, stated that law enforcement identified the two accused minors based on the clues provided by the boy's parents. The official process is now in progress to present the two minors before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The victim's body underwent an autopsy, and further investigation is ongoing, as noted by the SDPO. It's worth mentioning that the Orampada area has previously had a reputation for criminal and anti-social activities.

Similar Incidents

A day ago, in the Udit Nagar area of Rourkela city, Odisha, a class-X student was reportedly killed by three of his friends in a dispute involving money.

The victim, identified as Rudra Narayan Padhi, aged 15, hailing from Nua Basti in the Balughat area, was a student at Developed Area High School in Civil Township.

According to reports, two days prior, Rudra's friends had requested money from him for their expenses. When he explained that he couldn't assist them due to a lack of funds, they contacted Rudra and asked him to come to Udit Nagar.

Upon his arrival, the three individuals attacked him with a lathi and ultimately killed him by striking him with a stone. Subsequently, they discarded his body near Sarana Chhak. Concerned about Rudra's failure to return home, his parents filed a missing person report with the Raghunathpali police. The next morning, local residents discovered the body and informed Rudra's parents.

The police later retrieved the body for a post-mortem examination and initiated a murder investigation in connection with the case.

While two of the accused were being interrogated at the Udit Nagar police station, one of them was reported to be on the run.

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