Batchmates kill Class 9 boy over cricket match

According to police, the victim, A Abdullah alias Abdul Kalam, a resident of Mariappan Street in Tiruvallur, went to play cricket at a playground near his school, a private institution in Kakkalur, as the State government had declared holiday for schools and colleges on Friday to pay respect to former prime minister AB Vajpayee who died a day earlier. 

When Abdullah was batting for his team, the ball he hit landed on a boy who was sitting near the boundary watching the match. As the boy suffered injury due to this, 

his friends picked up a quarrel with Abdullah. The quarrel, which began as a verbal duel between the two sides, quickly deteriorated into a fisticuff. 

Police said Abdullah collapsed during the assault, and was rushed to a nearby hospital on 108 ambulance service. However, he had died by then. Abdullah’s body was then transferred to the government hospital in Tiruvallur for post-mortem examination. 

Shocked by the information about his death, Abdullah’s relatives and friends staged a protest at the hospital demanding the arrest of the boys who fatally attacked Abdullah. Based on the complaint filed by Abdullah’s father Ansari Khan, police in Tiruvallur district registered a case of murder and arrested four students – all studying in Class 9 at the same school with Abdullah. 

As they are minors, the police produced the four students before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). The board directed that the juveniles be admitted to the Government Observation Home for Boys in Kellys, Chennai. Further investigation is on.