4 minors apprehended for allegedly assaulting teen in Kochi after dispute over Instagram messages

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The Elamakkara police on Monday apprehended four minor boys for allegedly assaulting a teenaged boy in Kochi following a dispute over some Instagram messages.

The boys were summoned to the police station along with their parents, a day after, a 40-year-old woman, who is the mother of one of the minors, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody in connection with the incident. The police registered a case based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, who learnt of the alleged assault after noticing injury marks on her son’s body.

“Five boys who were visibly involved in the assault have been identified and four apprehended. One of them is out of station. Procedures are on to produce the boys before the Juvenile Justice Board,” a city police officer said.

A video of the alleged incident which shows a group of purported teenagers brutally assaulting and hurling abusive words at the boy in the presence of the arrested woman has been circulating on social media. The victim was allegedly invited to the woman’s rented house in Edappally on Friday on the pretext of settling a dispute between him and the woman’s son over some alleged obscene messages sent from the victim’s phone.

Police sources said three of the apprehended boys had been warned earlier following their involvement in alleged theft attempt and drug-related offences.

The arrested woman has been booked for offences including attempt to commit culpable homicide, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.