A rag-picker, who was allegedly assaulted by a minor, died in a hospital undergoing treatment leading to registration of a criminal case against the latter in Malkajgiri on Monday.
The victim, Balakonda Rangaiah (18), used to live by collecting garbage in a tricycle in Prashanthnagar of Malkajgiri. Four days ago, a ninth standard student of a local private school approached him stating that another student had attacked him over a petty matter.
Rangaiah threatened the second student of dire consequences if he again resorted to attacks and sent away both of them. The next day, the student complained about the intimidation by Rangaiah to some of his friends. His friends -all below 16 years of age- intercepted Rangaiah in Prashanthangar on Friday and questioned him as to why he intervened when students quarrelled among themselves.
“One of those minors beat up Rangaiah with his hands warning him not to interfere in their issues. Rangaiah complained of abdominal pain on Saturday and went to a local private hospital,” the Malkajgiri ACP Ch. Radhakishan Rao said.
As his condition deteriorated, the rag picker was shifted to Gandhi Hospital where he died on Sunday. After investigating into the sequence of events that led to his death, the police identified the minor who assaulted him. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was registered against the minor.