One of the six juvenile accused in an assault case, the video of which had gone viral on social media last week, was found hanging in the bathroom of his house at Glass Factory Colony at Kalamassery on Monday morning.
The 17-year-old was reportedly under severe mental strain since he was arraigned as an accused. “He had shared with his father his anxiety and his inability to face others since the incident,” said P.R. Santhosh, Station House Officer, Kalamassery police.
The video had shown a seven-member group brutally assaulting a 17-year-old allegedly for having an affair with the sister of one of the accused. It took place on a vacant plot last Thursday. The assault was gruesome and the youth found hanging was reportedly the most brutal of the lot.
The only adult among the seven accused, an 18-year-old, was arrested and released on bail. The rest were sent back home with their parents who were summoned to the police station. Both the accused and the assaulted youth were friends and hailed from the same neighbourhood in Glass Factory Colony in Kalamassery.
The police are in the process of preparing a social background report on the juvenile accused after verifying their antecedents. It will be submitted to the Child Welfare Committee.
All the seven accused were charged with IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), 146 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly). The police registered the case suo motu after taking note of the viral social media video. Suicide prevention helpline no - Maitri: 0484-2540530
