Minor gathers 14 friends to beat 17-yr-old to death

A 17-year-old boy was beaten to death by a group of 15 men in Andheri (East) on Tuesday night over an altercation involving a message sent to a girl on a social networking site. The police have arrested 12 persons, including two minors, for killing Ansh Agarwal. The incident took place near the Kohinoor Hotel on the Andheri-Kurla Road at 10:30 pm on Tuesday.

Killed: Ansh Agarwal

Ansh was a Second Year Junior College student at a college in Juhu, where most of the accused in the case also read. According to cops, Ansh had been involved in an argument with one of the minors accused in the case, almost a month ago. From what the accused persons have said to the police, the argument started over a Facebook message sent to a girl who is friends with both the victim and the minor offender. "They had an argument and both of them abused each other," said Senior Police Inspector Suresh Hujband of MIDC police station.

On Tuesday evening, Ansh and the minor started arguing again, and a brawl ensued. The minor gathered a group of 14 persons around him, and then cornered Ansh, assaulting him sticks and an iron rod. When he fell, one of the accused took a paver block and smashed his head with it," said Hujband.

The boys then fled from the spot, leaving Ansh in a pool of his blood. He was rushed to Kiran Hospital in Andheri (East), only to be declared dead on arrival. "We returned to the spot and spoke to witnesses. A case was registered. The accused persons were arrested after Ansh's brother identified them. They have admitted to the offence. Statements of many persons have been recorded," said Hujband.

While the two minor offenders will be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act, the other 10 accused have been booked under Sections 302 (murder), 142 (unlawful assembly) and 145 (continuing in unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code.u00a0