Bihar: Speech-impaired teen beaten to death over cricket match misunderstanding
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Photo: Maktoob
A 17-year-old boy with speech-impairment was allegedly beaten to death by another teenager following a misunderstanding while watching the cricket final between India and New Zealand on a mobile phone in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Sunday evening.
After a fight broke out while a group of local adolescents were watching the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final together, the victim, identified as Kundan Kumar, was attacked in Jakkopur village within the boundaries of the Mahnar police station. Living in the village's Ward No. 18, Kundan was the youngest of four siblings and the son of farmer Brijkishor Rai.
Police identified the accused as 17-year-old Kisan Kumar, the son of Visunkant Thakur, who also lives in the same neighbourhood, Maktoob Media reported.
Villagers said several teenagers had assembled to watch the match on a cellphone when the argument began. When India lost a wicket during the game, Kundan reportedly shouted, which another youth allegedly interpreted as him celebrating it.
The misunderstanding quickly escalated into a physical altercation.
Kundan’s mother said her son had stepped out earlier in the evening and later joined the group watching the match. She alleged that one of the boys had asked him to leave, but he remained with them. According to her, when India’s first wicket fell, Kundan shouted and the others assumed he was cheering the dismissal, after which they beat him and struck his head.
After the assault, villagers took the injured teenager to the Mahnar Community Health Centre (CHC) for initial treatment. Because of the seriousness of his injuries, doctors referred him to Hajipur Sadar Hospital.
He was eventually sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for additional care, but he passed away early on Monday morning en route. According to Mahnar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Praveen Kumar, the incident happened when two young people got into a fight while watching the game. He stated that during the altercation, Kundan was pushed and fell on a stone, sustaining serious injuries. Kumar added that the boy was being taken to PMCH for treatment but died on the way.
Police said a forensic team visited the spot and collected evidence as part of the investigation.
Officials added that two police teams have been formed to locate the accused and that raids are ongoing.
The incident has shocked residents of the village, with locals saying that what began as a minor misunderstanding during the match escalated rapidly into violence.