Murder over a girl: Student stabs best friend to death in class

The spot where the murder took place

This is a story straight out of a Bollywood rom-com, except it ends in brutal murder. Rajesh, 16, (name changed) a Std X student from Pirale village in Solapur stabbed his best friend Rakesh (name changed) during an exam in their school, all because both of them had fallen in love with the same girl.

Also read - Mumbai crime: Minor stabs friend to death over Rs 300 loan

The incident took place on Tuesday around 11.30 am at the boys' school. A case of murder has been registered with the Natepute police station and Rajesh has been detained for the same along with a 21-year-old friend who helped him.

Slaying with a sickle
Assistant police inspector Rajkumar Bhujbal of Natepute police station said, "The duo killed him with help of a sickle used for cutting sugarcane. Prior to the murder, they had sharpened the weapon. For the past few days, the accused was staying in the school premises. The incident took place when all the students were preparing for their exam. The accused removed the sickle from his friend's bag and began stabbing Mahesh on his head and neck."

He added, "After killing him, both of them told other classmates not to reveal their names, threatening to chop their tongues if anyone gives a statement to us. On Wednesday, we caught them when they were trying to flee in a public transport bus." The principal of the school said, "Both of them were best friends since childhood. We are shocked to see an incident like this in our premises as they never even quarrelled and the deceased used to help the accused with his studies."

All for a girl
Why did Rajesh take such a step? "The reason behind this seems to be their love for the same girl. Initially, the juvenile accused used to ask the deceased to write love letters to the girl but later, he began writing his name in the letter instead and gave it to the girl. Due to this, the accused got angry and killed him," said Bhujbal. On Wednesday, the juvenile accused was detained and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and kept in an observation home.

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