Boy kills schoolmate over cellphone row

TIRUNELVELI: In a shocking incident of juvenile delinquency, a class X student allegedly murdered his schoolmate following an altercation over a mobile phone near Uthumalai in Tirunelveli district on Tuesday. The accused Muthu (name changed), a student of a private school in Keelakalangal, was arrested on Wednesday and produced before the Tirunelveli Juvenile Justice Board. Police said the victim Manikandan (14), a native of Keelakalangal, was studying in class IX in the same school. A month ago Manikandan was fascinated by a China-make mobile phone that Muthu had and exchanged his branded cell phone with him. Later, he asked Muthu to return his phone. The latter instead gave him another phone, which was not in good working condition. On Monday evening, the victim had gone to Muthu’s house in Melkalangal to get back his original phone but did not return home. After a day’s search, his father Anbuselvan discovered the body in a field and lodged a police complaint. A probe revealed that Muthu murdered Manikandan.