Five minor boys watched a popular TV crime serial and went on to kidnap a seven-year-old boy for ransom and then murdered him.
The accused boys are aged between 15 and 16 years and study in Class 10.
Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar said. "The boy was picked up by the teenagers from his school on July 9 and then taken to Aligarh where they choked him to death using a handkerchief. They then dumped his body in a river which was recovered later."
An FIR was first lodged under IPC section 363 (missing) on the basis of a complaint by the child's father, who lives in Shekhupur village under Chhatari police station limits.
"After the probe and findings, the accused have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) also," the police said.
The SSP said one of the teenagers had mistakenly lost Rs 40,000 while carrying out a financial transaction and was worried about it. He later narrated his ordeal to his friends after which they all decided to kidnap a child from the school for ransom to make up for his loss.
"On July 9, the victim was among the first few students to reach the school. The accused had not specifically planned to kidnap him but he was picked up since he reached the school early and there were not many people at the time," the SSP said.
"The teenager, who also studied in the same school, saw the boy playing outside his class and then took him to the boundary of the school where his other associates, who studied in a different school, were already present," he said.
The two accused took the boy on a motorcycle to Aligarh while the other reached there by bus. They had taken the boy to Aligarh because one of the accused had a house there and the boy was kept hostage there.
However, later the teenagers panicked thinking what they would do if their plan does not succeed and thought they might land in trouble.
The SSP added that they then decided to kill the boy and dumped his body in a river. They threw his handkerchief in bushes in an isolated area and returned to Bulandshahr.
The next day the child's body was found from the river in Aligarh and he was identified as the boy missing from Bulandshahr, he said.
Six teams were formed which analysed over 100 CCTV footages and questioned more than 200 people in connection with the case.
The accused were presented before a juvenile justice board for further legal action in the case.
2 CRPF personnel killed in attack by armed group in Manipur
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including a Sub Inspector, were killed and two others have been injured after armed groups attacked a camp of security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early on Saturday, police said.
Land subsidence leaves 350 people homeless in J&K’s Ramban District
Over 350 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K’s) Ramban District abandoned their homes on Saturday after destruction of the houses due to land subsidence.
Houthi leader vows to continue maritime attacks, calls Indian Ocean 'new theatre of confrontation'
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi group, has vowed to continue its naval operations in the Red Sea, rejecting media reports suggesting a decrease in Houthi maritime attacks, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
Second phase of Lok Sabha polls sees enthusiastic voter turnout from Jammu to Kerala, Maharashtra to Tripura
The BJP, holding a significant number of seats in this phase, considers these elections crucial for maintaining and expanding its influence to secure a substantial majority in the Lok Sabha.
EC suspends 26 Tripura govt staff for taking part in political events, violation of poll code
The Election Commission (EC) has so far suspended 26 Tripura government employees, including security personnel, for participating in political events, election campaigns, and violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),
Massive crowd greets PM Modi in Bareilly roadshow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a massive roadshow in Bareilly to garner support for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Chhatrapal Gangwar.
Police revolver among large cache of arms seized from Sandeshkhali, claims CBI
A Colt official police revolver was among a large cache of firearms seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from a house at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Paragans, the CBI claimed in a statement issued on Friday evening.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.