3 arrested for teen's murder in Rajasthan's Baran, Section 144 imposed, police deployed

Kota (Rajasthan): Prohibitory orders were clamped and internet services suspended for 24 hours in the communally-sensitive Baran city of Rajasthan following the brutal murder of a teenage boy, police said on Sunday.

The prime accused and his two aides were arrested for murdering Aazad (16), a resident of Shramik Colony in Talab Para area, on Saturday over an old enmity between two groups, they said.

"The brutal murder is the result of personal rivalry between two groups with no communal angle," Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vijay Swarnkar said.

CCTV footage showed the prime accused, Hemant Rathore, allegedly firing at the victim outside Baran Grain Mandi gate.

Rathore and his accomplices then attacked him using iron rods while passers-by remained mute spectators, the police said.

The accused strolled up and down the street for around five minutes after committing the crime, they added.

A video of the incident appeared online on Saturday night. The district administration imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), prohibiting the gathering of four or more people, late on Saturday night to prevent a possible flare-up.

Internet services were also suspended for 24 hours till 3 AM on Monday in the Baran Municipal Council area of Rajasthan following the incident, said Brijmohan Bairwa, CEO Baran Zila Parishad, who holds the additional charge of ADM.

Rathore and his two accomplices - Manish Goutam alias Bittu Sharma and Rohit Nagar alias Rahit Amlawada - were arrested on Sunday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Bansal said, adding efforts were on to nab others involved in the case.

A day before the incident, Rathore and others had lodged a police complaint against Aazad and his aides for allegedly assaulting them.

The police force has been deployed in strength in Baran city and the situation was peaceful with no untoward incident reported on Sunday, the SP said.

A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was lodged against the three arrested and some unidentified persons on the complaint of the victim's family, Station House Officer (SHO) Mangilal Yadav said.

The victim's body was handed over to his family after post-mortem late on Saturday night, police said.