The Hamirpur crime branch has arrested eight accused — all minors and high school students — in connection with the murder of their fellow teenager friend over a month ago.

The arrested persons include the main accused.

Sanjay Tripathi, a local BJP leader and the father of the deceased, Aman Tripathi, and his wife Madhu, who were on a hunger strike for the past two days, called it off after the intervention of the local administration on the assurance of justice in the matter.

The parents of the deceased had gone on a hunger strike demanding a CBI enquiry after the local Banda police failed to take any action.

Inspector General (IG) Banda-Chitrakoot, K.Satyanarayan had then transferred the case to crime branch Hamirpur.

The IG said that all the accused are high school students.

“The deceased and the main accused had some fight which led to the murder. All the accused were sent to a remand room in Chitrakoot on Thursday evening,” he said.

On October 11, Aman had gone to a coaching class and then went missing. It later came to light that he was invited by the main accused to his birthday the same day where he was murdered. On October 13, his body was recovered from river Ken in a bad condition with bruises on the head.

The father of the deceased said, “There are a few more persons involved in this case who have a criminal background. I have been assured by the IG that he will be recommending the case for CBI enquiry.”

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)