HYDERABAD: It looks like a friendly street boxing match between friends in a gully with an open sewer. A bunch of pubescent boys prepare for a fight. One of them in red shirt plays the umpire, and the boy in black who just heard some whisper in his ear, rolls up his sleeves and walks with a shrug.
The fight begins, and boy in white with training trunks, lifts his opponent off the ground and runs around. Then the rain of punches begin to the head and chest of the boy in white. Suddenly, the boy in white collapses on the ground.
It is this video footage released by police, with bad audio, that is the key evidence which led the investigators to change the case from natural death to one of suspicious death under Section 174. Seven boys have been taken into custody on Sunday, based on the video evidence and based on a complaint by Nabeel’s father Mohammed Dastagir.
A murder case is yet to be registered as police are awaiting postmortem report. South Zone DCP V Satyanarayana, said the seven roamed around on three bikes near Banjara Hills in the early hours. After morning prayers, they gathered outside the house of one of them near Armaan hotel. They had two fights prior to the one where Nabeel took part.
“Clearly, Nabeel was not keen on fighting. The opponent challenged him, provoked him and even handed a couple of blows to make Nabeel fight. He even abused him calling Hijra,” said the DCP.
“The boy who rained the fatal blows takes part in fights, and had promised to take along with him the person who could defeat him in a friendly. The idea of hiding the truth from Nabeel’s family, was the idea of one of the boys,” they told police.
According to Nabeel’s father, Mohammed Dastagir, first one of the friends told them that it was an accident while performing bike stunts.
Later, another friend said that Nabeel had a cardiac stroke whereas another friend said that it was a epileptic seizure. There were also some minor scratches on his body as well as blood clot patches on the left side temple on his face, he informed police.
Infact, there were videos taken during each of the fights. The first video was deleted by the boy who lost the bout.
The second video failed to save due to lack of memory on the phone, whereas the third video remained. One of the boys is heard clearly instructing Nabeel’s opponent to hit him on the chest. These blows perhaps proved fatal for Nabeel.
First video was deleted by boy
There were videos taken during each of the fights. The first video was deleted by the boy who lost the bout. The second video failed to save due to lack of memory on the phone, whereas the third video remained. One of the boys is heard clearly instructing Nabeel’s opponent to hit him on the chest. These blows perhaps proved fatal for Nabeel.
Nabeel was even abused, says cop
DCP Satyanarayana told reporters, “Clearly, Nabeel was not keen on fighting. The opponent challenged him, provoked him and even handed a couple of blows to make Nabeel fight. He even abused him calling Hijra.” It appears that the boy was indeed forced to stand up to his bullies.