TIRUVARUR: The Nannilam police on Thursday detained a juvenile for allegedly assaulting a 20-year-old man during an altercation that broke out during a game of cricket the previous evening. The victim succumbed to injuries in hospital hours after the assault, the police said.
The deceased has been identified as D Ajithkumar of a village falling under Nannilam police limits.
Ajithkumar, who assisted his father in masonry work, usually joined in a game of cricket with the youngsters of the locality after returning from work. On Wednesday evening, he joined about 15 boys in one such match. After Ajithkumar bowled to a 14-year-old boy at the stumps, he declared the latter out in the ball. The teenager, however, refused to accept the decision and entered into an altercation. It intensified when Ajithkumar assaulted the boy, the police said.
Enraged, the teenager’s elder brother, aged 15 and who was also playing, plucked one of the three stumps made of casuarina and attacked Ajithkumar on the head. Sustaining injuries, Ajithkumar passed out. While the other boys there admitted him to the Nannilam government hospital, Ajithkumar died hours later, the police added.
Following this, the Nannilam police registered a case on Thursday and detained the 15-year-old boy whose attack allegedly led to Ajithkumar’s death. As the accused is a juvenile, the police are taking steps to lodge him in the government observation home for boys in Thanjavur.
The police also said the accused was recently promoted to class 10.