Meerut: 17-year-old boy murdered by classmate

Meerut: A 17-year-old boy in Meerut confessed to killing his close friend, Abhinav, over a dispute involving the accused’s girlfriend. Abhinav, a Class 11 student and the only son of a grocery merchant, was found dead late Saturday night in Varnika City, under the Kankarkheda police station area.

Abhinav had left home that morning for his coaching class but failed to return, sparking concern among his family. When his mobile phone was discovered switched off, his family launched a frantic search, visiting his coaching centre only to learn it was closed for the day. Tracing his movements, they discovered he was last seen near a mall with his classmate, Aryan.

Upon being contacted by the family, police registered a missing person report and took Aryan into custody for questioning. Initially evasive, Aryan eventually confessed to murdering Abhinav after being confronted by the crime branch. Based on his statements, police recovered Abhinav’s body early Sunday morning near a tubewell on the city’s outskirts.

According to investigators, Aryan claimed that Abhinav had accessed private images and videos of his girlfriend from his phone and used them to blackmail her. Enraged by this, Aryan plotted the crime, luring Abhinav to an isolated spot before attacking him with a hammer he had carried in his bag. The victim’s family and local residents have accused Aryan of not acting alone. A large crowd gathered to protest, blocking Rohta Road and demanding a broader investigation to identify potential accomplices.

Meerut City SP Ayush Vikram Singh said that the investigation is ongoing and all angles will be thoroughly examined.