Murder over video game: Minor held in Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Apr 4: A 13-year-old boy, who had gone missing from his house in Ullal near here was found murdered early on Sunday and one person was arrested in this connection, police sources said.
According to Police sources, a fight between the victim Akeef and the accused over PUBG game had culminated in the murder.
They said Akeef always played PUBG games and used to win regularly.
He had come across the minor boy, his neighbour, during a visit to a mobile store.
They used to play the game and when Akeef started winning the games, the other boy suspected that someone else was playing on behalf of Akeef.
He then challenged Akeef to play the game sitting together.
Akeef agreed and on Saturday night both sat across and Akeef lost the game.
An argument ensued and Akeef reportedly threw a stone at the other boy.
Angry over this, the latter hit Akeef with a heavy stone.
Akeef began to bleed profusely and collapsed.
The other boy panicked and covered the body with banana leaves and coconut fronds and fled the spot.
Ullal police are interrogating the accused minor to know whether other boys were with him while committing the crime, the sources said.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar, who visited the spot, urged parents to be watchful while handing over mobile phones to children.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
