Two minors accused of killing man slitting throat, stealing iPhone to produce high-quality reels
by Utsav RoyIn Bahraich, two minors have been taken into custody for allegedly murdering a man in a brutal manner to steal his iPhone with the aim of creating “high-quality reels” to gain social media attention, police confirmed on Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Shadab, a resident of Bengaluru, had come to his ancestral village Nagaur in Bahraich to attend his maternal uncle’s wedding. According to Additional Superintendent of Police Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha, the incident took place on the night of June 20.
Shadab was declared missing on June 21, and his body was later discovered near a rundown tube well in a guava orchard outside the village. His throat had been slit with a sharp weapon, and his head was crushed using a brick.
During the investigation, two minors aged 14 and 16 were detained. They admitted to planning the murder four days prior, targeting Shadab’s iPhone specifically for making reels. They lured him to an isolated spot under the pretext of shooting videos and carried out the killing using a knife and a brick.
The police recovered the stolen iPhone, the murder weapon, and the brick used in the assault. A case has been registered under sections 103 and 238 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita against four individuals, the two minors and two adult relatives.
After the crime, both minors along with family members initially went into hiding. The teenagers were apprehended on Thursday, and one adult relative who allegedly helped conceal the murder weapon was arrested a day later. Authorities are continuing the search for the fourth suspect.
Dehat’s Station House Officer Daddan Singh confirmed that both minors have been sent to the Divisional Juvenile Reform Home located in Gonda.