Class 10 student thrashed by a group of men following a quarrel over plucking leaves from a tree

A Class 10 student was thrashed by a group of men on Janmashtami following a quarrel over plucking of leaves from a tree in north Delhi's Burari, police said on Wednesday.

The victim has been identified as Aditya Raj.

While the family of the victim alleged police inaction, a senior police officer said teams have been formed to nab the accused. Aaditya is currently hospitalised.

The accused are locals and have been absconding from their homes, the officer said. He said the accused had approached a city court to get an anticipatory bail but it was denied. The accused are likely to be nabbed soon, the officer said.

Adarsh, Raj's cousin told the police that the victim, his cousins and a neighbour had gone to a temple in Chandan Vihar for Janmasthami celebrations and while returning, one of them plucked a few leaves from an Ashoka tree.

The accused identified as Vinod was drinking alcohol in his car. When he saw one them plucking leaves, he got enraged and blocked Adarsh's way by driving his car back and forth, the cousin alleged in the police complaint.

Adarsh managed to run away but he was chased by the accused. The accused caught him at the entrance of Chandan Vihar colony and started beating him. Seeing the commotion, Aaditya and his other cousins intervened, the complaint said.

The accused was then joined by a man, wielding a stick. The man with the stick allegedly hit Aaditya on his head several times, claiming that they were thieves, police said.

Adarsh in his complaint said that the locals who tried to intervene were threatened by the accused with dire consequences, police said.

A case has been registered under section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC which is punishable with a maximum term of seven years and fine, police added.