CHENNAI: Enraged by the refusal of an old man to share a bottle of liquor with him, a 16-year-old boy slashed his neck with a blade killing him on the spot in broad daylight at Periya Kancheepuram near Chennai on Monday. While the minor boy was sent to a juvenile home, police have not yet identified the victim who is suspected to be a beggar.
Police said the boy discontinued his studies a few years ago and was a drug addict. His father died a few years ago and he lived with his mother who is a daily-wage labourer. The Sivakanchi police have registered a case and a probe is on.
On Sunday evening, as the boy was walking on the pavement in Periya Kancheepuram town, he saw the elderly man with the liquor bottle. Quoting witnesses, police said the yet-to-be-identified man used to buy liquor with the money he got by seeking alms. When the boy saw the liquor bottle, he asked the man to share it with him.
Police used CCTV footage to identify the boy
When the old man refused, an argument broke out between them. This led to a scuffle, and the boy allegedly slashed his neck with a blade he had with him. When the man started to bleed, the boy fled the spot. Passersby rescued the man and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. Police analysed CCTV footage from the locality and identified the boy. After inquiry, he was sent to a juvenile home in Kancheepuram.