A teenager with a speech disability was allegedly beaten to death in the north Indian state of Bihar after his loud shout was mistaken for a cheer during the T20 cricket world cup final between India and New Zealand.
Kundan Kumar, 17, who had a speech disability from birth, was allegedly killed in Vaishali district on Sunday while watching the match on his mobile phone with a group of young men from his village. A dispute broke out when Kundan reacted loudly after a wicket fell. Another teenager interpreted the reaction as a celebratory cheer and the argument soon escalated into a physical scuffle.
Kundan’s mother said her son had gone out in the evening with a group of friends, one of whom later asked the teenager to not sit with them and move away. However, he remained there. “On March 8, Kundan went out of the house for some work. Some boys from the village were watching the match on a cellphone and my son also started watching there,” she told the Times of India. “When India’s first wicket fell, Kundan screamed. They thought that he was happy that the wicket had fallen. The youths beat him up and smashed his head.”
Kundan sustained severe injuries and was immediately taken to the local Mahnar Community Health Centre for treatment. When his condition didn’t improve, he was referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital on Monday. He succumbed to his injuries on the way there.
Sub-divisional police officer Praveen Kumar said the assault took place following a dispute around the match.
“The incident of assault took place during a mutual dispute over watching cricket,” he said. “During the altercation, Kundan fell on a stone after being pushed and that caused serious injuries. He was being taken to PMCH for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on the way.”
The accused teenager remains at large with police raids ongoing to find him.
