Ballia (UP), March 10 A 14-year-old boy was allegedly killed by his neighbor with a brick after suspecting him of stealing an e-rickshaw, police said here on Tuesday.
According to police, the body of the teenager, identified as Ritesh Yadav (14), was found on a cot in an orchard in the Babuaapur village on Tuesday morning.
Bairia Circle Officer Mohammad Fahim Qureshi said that upon receiving information about the incident, police officials and a forensic team reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem.
Citing the FIR, the officer said that the victim's father, Nand Ji Yadav, stated that Ritesh had gone to attend a wedding procession in the village on Monday but did not return home at night. His body was found on Tuesday morning near a well.
He alleged that their neighbor, Manoj Yadav, had killed his son over an old grudge.
According to Qureshi, the boy was attacked on the head with a brick. Police recovered a brick from the spot, which is suspected to have been used in the crime.
The officer said Manoj suspected Ritesh of having stolen his e-rickshaw recently. Although the vehicle was later recovered, the suspicion had led to a dispute between the two.
Based on the complaint by the victim's father, a case under section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered. Police are making efforts to arrest the accused and further investigation is underway, he added.