Minor strangled to death in Kanpur over cricket dispute

Kanpur, June 21 A 14-year-old boy was allegedly strangled to death by a 17-year-old who was clean bowled by him during a cricket match in Kanpur.

The victim allegedly died on the pitch of an open playground in Rahti Dera village of Ghatampur area.

The accused and his brother, who allegedly assisted him in the crime, are absconding.

The victim has two brothers and four sisters. His father is a small-time farmer.

The local people said that the victim's aunt was beaten to death by the accused's family three years ago.

According to reports, during the cricket match, the accused got upset and refused to leave the pitch after the victim clean bowled him. This led to a verbal duel between the two, which escalated when the accused called his brother and both siblings started thrashing the victim.

After severely assaulting the victim, the brothers pinned him to the ground and strangled him to death, police said.

When other boys present on the playground informed the victim's family, the distraught kin rushed to the spot and took the boy to the Ghatampur hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The family later returned home with the body.

Kotwali in-charge Vikram Singh reached the village with a police force and tried to take possession of the body for post-mortem.

The victim's family, however, created a ruckus, demanding the district magistrate or senior police official be called to the spot. They refused to perform the last rites till the accused was arrested.

After around four hours of being persuaded by police, the bereaved kin agreed to the autopsy and later filed a complaint at Ghatampur Kotwali PS against the accused.