A dispute over an Instagram friend request turned deadly in Gujarat’s Botad district after a young man was allegedly stabbed to death and two others were seriously injured during a violent attack on Thursday night.
The deceased has been identified as Harpal Khachar, while the injured are Akshay Khachar and Satyaraj Boricha.
According to the FIR, the dispute had been ongoing between Siddhraj and the main accused, Shaktisinh Dayma, a resident of Khas village, over an Instagram friend request.
Police said Satyaraj, Harpal and Akshay went to meet the accused in an attempt to resolve the matter. They reached the spot on a motorcycle, where Shaktisinh allegedly arrived with another man on a bike. Three more men later joined them on another motorcycle.
During the meeting, an argument broke out. Police said one of the accused allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Harpal in the chest. Akshay was also stabbed multiple times, while Satyaraj suffered stab injuries during the attack.
The accused allegedly assaulted the victims with punches and kicks before fleeing the spot on motorcycles as local residents gathered.
All three injured men were taken to a hospital in Botad by a 108 ambulance. Harpal later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Akshay, who suffered serious injuries, was referred to a hospital in Bhavnagar for advanced treatment, while Satyaraj is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Botad.
Botad Police have registered a case against Shaktisinh Dayma and four unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including murder, attempt to murder and rioting.
Police have launched a search operation to trace and arrest the accused.