Keonjhar: Three students, all juveniles, were detained for allegedly murdering their coaching mate in the hostel of a private residential college in Odisha’s Keonjhar.
Further investigation by the police into the mysterious incident is in progress and efforts are on to ascertain the motive behind the crime, sources said
The victim, Jaladhar Mahanta from Tangarpada, was found dead in his second-floor hostel room at 2 am on Tuesday. All students, including the victim, were staying at the hostel while attending summer coaching classes after their matric examination.
The suspects, all aged around 15 years, allegedly suffocated Mahanta with a blanket and strangled him with a cloth following a dispute. The accused have confessed to the crime, said a senior police official.
According to school authorities, the victim was found unconscious on a bed in the corridor near a water purifier. Another student, who had gone to fetch water, spotted him and immediately alerted the hostel warden. The victim was rushed to Keonjhar district headquarters hospital but was pronounced dead.
