KORAPUT: A 12-year-old boy was bludgeoned to death by two of his friends following a spat over a mobile phone game in a Koraput village. His body was recovered in a reservoir early on Friday.
Lulu Bhoi, the class VI student along with two of his friends, one studying in class VIII at the local Kanheiput high school in Masiput and a 19-year-old youth identified as Lucky Mali, were celebrating the Odia new year on Thursday.
However, after a few minutes an altercation broke out when the deceased refused to hand over the mobile to the other two to play. "In a fit of anger, the duo thrashed him and hit him with a stone on his head, leaving Lulu unconscious ," said ASP (Koraput) Utkal Kesari Das.
Fearing Lulu might narrate the incident to the villagers and his family, the duo strangled him and dragged his body around 50 meters from the crime spot to throw it into the Kolab reservoir," he added.
Body found in reservoir
Later, the duo returned to the village and went to their respective homes. When Lulu didn't return home, his father, Pitabas Bhoi inquired about the whereabouts of their son with the two accused as he had seen Lulu going with them, but the duo feigned ignorance. The matter came to light on Friday morning when a local villager spotted the body floating in the reservoir and informed the deceased's family.
"When my son's body was found floating in the reservoir with head injury, I registered a complaint with police against the duo suspecting foul play," said Pitabas Bhoi, father of the deceased. The two suspects were soon detained for interrogation and they confessed to the crime.
