Noida: A 13-year-old boy, who was found dead in city park days after he went missing, was allegedly killed by three of his minor friends following a dispute over Rs 3,000 that the group had earned by selling goods they had stolen together. Police have apprehended two juveniles and are searching for the third, even as the victim’s mother and other family members staged a protest outside the postmortem house on Wednesday, demanding strict action against those responsible.According to police, the victim was called to the Sector 54 park on the evening of Aug 16 by his three friends, aged between 13 and 16, for a party. The four boys allegedly spent time together before an argument broke out over Rs 3,000, which the three accused believed the victim owed them.A senior police officer associated with the investigation said the four boys had allegedly stolen some items earlier and sold them for Rs 4,000. The victim allegedly did not share the proceeds with the others, leading to the dispute.“As an argument broke out, the 13-year-old allegedly slapped one of his friends. It appears that the three boys then overpowered and strangled him. After he collapsed, one of them allegedly smashed his head with a stone. The three then fled the spot,” the officer said.The accused initially returned to their homes but later fled to different districts, police said. All four boys were allegedly involved in petty thefts and sold the stolen goods for small amounts of money, though it was not immediately clear whether any of them had been named in previous police cases.The victim’s family, however, alleged that he had been stabbed multiple times. Police have maintained that the boy was strangled but said further investigation was underway to establish the exact sequence of events and the cause of death. While the autopsy report ruled out any external injuries, cops are awaiting the viscera report.The victim’s mother, who works as an attendant at Bhangel community health centre, said her son left home on the evening of Aug 16 after telling the family that he was going out to play with his friends. He had also informed them about the boys he was expected to meet.When he did not return, his mother and sisters began searching for him. A kidnapping complaint was subsequently lodged on Monday night. The boy’s decomposed body was found in the park on Aug 21. However, it was identified by his mother only on Tuesday. Police said murder charges would be added to the case based on the investigation.On Wednesday, family members and supporters of some Hindu organisations gathered outside the postmortem house, following which cops and Provincial Armed Constabulary teams were deployed at the morgue.As the victim’s mother refused to accept the body, MP Mahesh Sharma spoke with her on Wednesday evening for nearly two hours and assured her of financial assistance as well as justice in the case. Following assurances, she agreed to take the body and the last rites were performed at Sector 94 amid heavy police deployment. Earlier in the day, BJP district president Mahesh Chauhan, DDRWA president NP Singh and senior police personnel also tried to pacify the protesters. The family has demanded the strictest punishment permissible under law for the accused.
