In Coimbatore, a 13-year-old boy was found murdered, leading to the arrest of his two minor friends, sparking a police investigation into the tragic incident near the Noyyal river.
A 13-year-old boy was found dead in a swampy area on the banks of the Noyyal river here, police said on Monday.
Two minor friends of the deceased, aged 15 and 13, have been apprehended in connection with the alleged murder, they said.
The deceased has been identified as B Thivish, a Class VII student.
According to the police, Thivish, a resident of Pudhu Colony at Irugur, went missing on May 15 after leaving his house with his two friends around 3.30 pm to catch fish in the Noyyal river near the Masaniamman temple.
Following his disappearance, the victim's father lodged a missing person complaint at the Singanallur police station on May 16.
Initially, the two minor friends told the investigators that Thivish had voluntarily left the riverbank with an acquaintance who arrived on a scooter. However, sustained interrogation by the police on Sunday evening led to a confession that one of the boys, a 15-year-old, hit the victim with an empty liquor bottle triggered by alleged vulgar remarks made by the victim about his mother.
The victim reportedly fell unconscious after the assault, following which the two minors fled the spot, leaving him behind. The body was subsequently recovered from a swampy area on the riverbank late on Sunday night.
The body has been shifted to a state-run hospital for a post-mortem examination.
A case has been registered and further investigations into the matter are underway.