Bhopal: A group of youngsters murdered a 17-year-old boy in Bhopal in cold blood with the hope of selling his testicles for Rs 1.20 crore.
The group allegedly committed the crime after watching a reel on Instagram that claimed that human testicles are worth that amount.
The teenager who was murdered sold pens and keychains for a living. He was allegedly lured with Rs 100, taken to an isolated spot and killed.
Zoheb Khan (20) and Aamir Qureshi (18) have been arrested in this matter. Three minors have also been detained.
Four of the accused allegedly participated in carrying out the murder while Khan guided them and was part of the conspiracy, Ayush Gupta, DCP (Zone-3), said. The knife allegedly used in the crime has also been recovered, he added.
Khan, a BBA student, allegedy went around posing as a doctor.
The investigation has revealed that he had watched a reel on Instagram, which he also showed to the others and told them that the private parts of a boy aged around 15-16 could fetch Rs 1.20 crore. His alleged doctor persona appears to have given the claim a veneer of credibility, Gupta said.
There was, however, no Rs 1.20-crore buyer waiting at the other end. The police say they have so far found no medical basis for the claim and no evidence establishing an organised organ-trafficking market behind the alleged promise. Investigators even consulted a doctor during the probe, but nothing emerged to substantiate the claim that had apparently driven the accused, as reported by NDTV.
The source of the reel is now being examined by the police. Officials are also trying to ascertain how an online myth allegedly became the motive for murder.
The victim, identified as Rehan, had lost his father and his mother works as a cleaner at a public toilet. The 17-year-old helped support his family by selling pens and keychains around Iqbal Maidan and Moti Masjid.
Some of the accused allegedly Rehana and had befriended him. Investigators believe he was eventually chosen because the group had allegedly been told they needed a boy above 15 years of age.
On August 6, two minors approached Rehan at Iqbal Maidan and told him they had a dispute with some boys near Khatlapura and needed his help in a fight. They promised him Rs 100 if he accompanied them. He agreed, unaware of what was in store.
Other members of the group joined them on the way. The teenager was taken through Ginnauri and Kilol Park towards the secluded Dhobighat area near Chhota Talab. Throughout the journey, Khan allegedly remained in contact with the group on the phone, guiding them as the plan unfolded.
On reaching the secluded spot, Rehan was allegedly attacked from behind. He was overpowered and stabbed repeatedly with a knife and a blade, the police said.
The accused allegedly contacted Khan after Rehan’s death and acted on instructions connected to the video they had earlier been shown. The boy’s testicles were then allegedly removed and placed in a polythene bag.
It was after doing all this that the accused realised that they had no buyer. They allegedly told the police during interrogation that they began searching for the buyer they apparently believed existed. The severed body part was allegedly kept for days as attempts were made to find someone to purchase it. However, no buyer emerged.
They soon realised that it was all a hoax, but Rehan was already dead by then. After failing to sell the body part, the accused allegedly three it into the water, the police said.
Investigators are now probing precisely where the Rs 1.20 crore figure originated and whether the reel simply contained grotesque misinformation or whether somebody else deliberately fed the accused the claim.
The investigation originally started after the recovery of an unidentified, decomposed body from the Dhobighat area of Chhota Talab on August 10. There were sharp-edged weapon injuries on the abdomen and legs, and the post-mortem examination indicated homicide.
The police registered a murder case against unidentified persons and circulated photographs of the victim on social media, approached residents and conducted door-to-door inquiries in an attempt to establish his identity.
The unidentified body was buried after their efforts failed. On August 15, a woman approached the police while looking for her missing son. She identified the photograph as that of Rehan. She also pointed to a distinctive tattoo on his hand.
The police then reconstructed Rehan’s final movements, examined the people he knew and questioned those who had last been seen with him. The trail eventually led investigators to the five accused and, according to the police, exposed a motive more bizarre than they had initially imagined.
