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The Coimbatore police have solved the missing case of a 13-year-old boy who disappeared on May 15. While it was initially suspected to be a case of abduction, investigation revealed that his two friends – aged 15 and 13 – had killed him in an inebriated condition over a verbal spat and tried to mislead the police.
The victim, identified as B Thivish, a resident of Pudhu Colony in Irugur, left his home on May 15 after informing his family that he was going out with his friends.
According to reports, the three boys went fishing near the Masaniamman temple along the Noyyal river in Irugur.
The boys had reportedly consumed alcohol at the riverbank, following which a verbal spat broke out among them. The dispute escalated after Thivish allegedly made vulgar remarks against the 15-year-old boy. Reports also said that an unresolved conflict had taken place between them a few days earlier.
Under the influence of alcohol, the 15-year-old allegedly attacked Thivish with an empty liquor bottle and continued assaulting him with a stone near a bridge in the Irugur area, leading to his death.
Fearing police action, the two minors allegedly dragged the body to a swampy patch near the riverbank and buried it under mud before leaving the spot.
As Thivish did not return home that night, his family began searching for him. A day later, his father, Bharathiraja, filed a missing complaint with the Singanallur police.
During the initial inquiry, the two boys allegedly attempted to mislead the police and Thivish’s family. They reportedly claimed that an unidentified man on a scooter, who said he was a relative of Thivish, had taken him away from the fishing spot.
Based on the complaint, police teams conducted searches in and around the Irugur area but could not trace the boy or recover the body.
As suspicions grew over inconsistencies in the boys’ statements, police detained and questioned them again on Sunday evening.
During interrogation, the 15-year-old boy allegedly confessed to the murder and disclosed the location where the body had been buried.
Police subsequently recovered the body from the swampy area near the riverbank late on Sunday and sent it for post-mortem examination.
The two minors are expected to be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and lodged in an Observation Home. Further investigation is underway.
Reacting to the incident, former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. K. Stalin advised parents to closely monitor what their children watch and observe any psychological changes in them so they can be guided properly.
“The future of our state lies in our children. Raising them responsibly is the social duty of all of us,” he said.
