Pune Shocker: 3 Teens Lure Boy Via Fake Girl's Profile, Kill Him, Dump His Body Into River

The Alankar police in Maharashtra's Pune on Wednesday detained three 15-year-old boys for allegedly murdering a peer over his friendship with a girl and dumping his body into a river on January 26. The incident came to light after the victim’s mother approached the police on Tuesday to file a missing person’s complaint when her son failed to return home.

“The boy used to manage his social media account through his mother's phone. When his brother later checked his profile, he discovered a message from a girl sent on the day of the victim's disappearance,” said Sunita Rokade, senior inspector, Alankar police.

Initially, suspicion fell on the girl whose name appeared in the chat, it was however, soon ruled out. “Further analysis of the profile activity revealed that someone had created a fake account using the girl's name and photos to lure the boy out,” Rokade said.

The digital trail led police to one of the suspects - a 15-year-old boy - who eventually confessed during questioning. He admitted that he, along with two other minors, had attacked the victim and disposed of the body by throwing it into the river.

Following the confession, police teams, assisted by the fire brigade, conducted late-night search operations in the Mutha river on Wednesday but failed to recover the body.

Police revealed that jealousy was the motive behind the killing. “The suspect was reportedly in a relationship with the girl and had grown increasingly resentful as she and the victim became closer,” said Rokade. “He told investigators he was strictly against their friendship.”

On Republic Day, the accused allegedly used the fake social media profile to contact the victim and called him to a designated spot. He was then taken to a secluded area along the Mutha riverbank in the Deccan region, where the trio allegedly bludgeoned him with a stone before dumping his body into the river.

Police said both the accused and the victim were residents of Kothrud. All were school dropouts who survived by taking up odd jobs.