An eight-year-old boy in Andhra who was branded with a burning cigarette, all over his body by his neighbour last week, succumbed to his injuries at a government hospital in Guntur.
According to reports, a murder case was slapped against the accused, Vadala Narendra, (19), and he was arrested by the Andhra police on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in Nekunambad village in Andhra's Prakasam district last Wednesday.
According to the police, Narendra had given Rs.10 to the minor, and asked him to fetch cigarettes from a local shop
The Class 3 student, however, used the money to buy some toffees for himself
Angry over this, the youth caught hold of the boy, took him to his house and tortured him with cigarette butts.
The accused kept the victim in his custody for the whole night and branded him all over his body.
The next day, he left the boy at some distance from the village. A woman who saw the boy enquired about the injuries and alerted the villagers.
The boy, who had burn marks even on his face near the eyes, was first admitted to a nearby government hospital and was later shifted to a hospital in Guntur town.
IANS inputs