Hyderabad, May 14 (IANS): Nine youth, including two juveniles, have been held and charged with murder in connection with the death of a teenager in a WWE-style fight here earlier his month, police said on Thursday.
Police, who had registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances, have now altered it to a murder case. The accused have also been booked for giving false information and abetment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Satyanarayana said the youth were taken into custody on Wednesday and they also seized two two-wheelers and mobile phones.
The accused have been sent to judicial custody. Police said they would seek their custody for gathering more evidence.
Nabeel Mohammed, 18, was killed in a WWE-style fight with his friend, Owais Patel, 19, in the early hours of May 3 at Panjeshah in the old city.
Nabeel, a class 12 student, collapsed and died after Owais punched him indiscriminately on his head and chest.
The group of youngsters shifted Nabeel to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. They told his family that he died in an accident while doing stunts on his bike.
The deceased was buried the same day. However, his father who came from Dubai had doubts about the cause of death and he approached police, which registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances on May 7.
During the investigations, police found a video of the fight taken by Abdul Qavi, one of the accused, through his mobile phone.
The video footage, which went viral over social media and was also telecast on television channels, showed how Nabeel collapsed due to punches hit by Owais. The video also had a running commentary in the voice of Qavi.
The body of Nabeel was exhumed on May 11 and an autopsy was conducted.
Police said Nabeel was reluctant to join the fight with Owais, who had earlier defeated two members of the same group. However, friends instigated him by making insulting comments.
The police officer said the negligence of parents in the case was apparent as they failed to keep an eye on the activities of their children.