The Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday apprehended five Class 10 boys for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a seven-year-old child. The incident took place in UP’s Bulandshahr district. They were inspired by a popular show. SSP Shlok Kumar said the victim was kidnapped by the accused on July 9. 

“They took the boy to Aligarh where they choked him to death using a handkerchief. They then dumped his body in a river which was recovered later, leading to an investigation into the matter,” Kumar said.

The victim’s father had filed a missing complaint. After the probe, the accused have been booked under sections 302 and 201.

One of the juveniles had lost Rs 40,000 while carrying a financial transaction and to make up for the lost money, hatched the conspiracy. He told about this to his friends who together decided to kidnap a child.

On July 9, they kidnapped the victim as he reached school earlier than other students.  

“The juvenile who also studied in the same school saw the boy playing outside his class and then took him to the boundary of the school where his other associates, who studied in a different school, were already present,” he said.

They took him to Aligarh as one of the accused had a house there.

They later panicked and killed the boy, police said. They threw the murder weapon in the bushes and returned to Bulandshahr. The police found the body later. 

The police questioned 200 people and analyzed 100 CCTV footage to zero in on the accused. 

They have admitted to the crime. 

With inputs from PTI