Delhi: Teen killed for resisting mobile snatching; body recovered after 3 months

Three minors were apprehended for allegedly strangling a teenage boy, gouging out his eyes to prevent identification, and burying his body near the Yamuna riverbank in Alipur after he resisted a mobile snatching bid, an official said on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Sonu Kumar (18), had been missing since April. His skeleton was recovered from a three-foot-deep pit, the official added.

The breakthrough came during routine patrolling by a police team on Wednesday, when three minors riding a black motorcycle without a number plate were intercepted after they tried to flee upon noticing the police vehicle.

The trio, all aged 16, were apprehended and brought in for questioning. Additionally, a neon-coloured mobile phone was recovered from one of the accused.

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“When asked to produce ownership documents, the suspect failed to do so and eventually confessed to having snatched the phone,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.

The accused juveniles also confessed to having used a stolen motorcycle.

During sustained interrogation, the minors revealed that they had targeted a passerby near the Yamuna riverbank, and upon facing resistance, allegedly strangled him and buried the body near the water body to conceal the crime. They also gouged out his eyes to prevent identification, the officer said.

The police team accompanied the minors to the location between Shank Nos. 16 and 17 on the riverbank, where a three-foot-deep pit was found.

“With assistance from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Alipur, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and the Mobile Crime Team, a skeleton was recovered from the site and sent for medico-legal examination at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital,” the DCP added.

A case was registered at the Alipur Police Station under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(A) (causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence or providing false information to screen an offender), and 3(5) (joint liability) of the BNS, he said.

The police identified the victim after tracing the mobile phone’s IMEI number. They then contacted Sonu’s family, who confirmed that he had been missing for the past three months and that his phone had been switched off.

(With inputs from PTI)