New Delhi: A 16-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed to death by three of his friends in East Delhi's Shakarpur after he refused to give them a treat for buying a new phone, police said on Tuesday. The three suspects, all 16-year-old Class 9 students, have been apprehended in connection with the murder.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Apoorva Gupta, blood stains were discovered by a patrol team near Ramji Samosa shop in Shakarpur around 7:15 pm on Monday. Locals informed the team that a group of boys had stabbed one of their friends, who was later taken to LNJP Hospital.

The victim, identified as Sachin, was a resident of the area. The incident took place in full public view. Sachin succumbed to his injuries about an hour later, with two stab wounds on his back, Gupta said.

Initial investigations revealed that Sachin and a friend were returning home after buying a mobile phone when they encountered the three accused. The group demanded a treat to celebrate the phone purchase, but when Sachin refused, an argument escalated, leading to the stabbing.

A case has been registered at Shakarpur police station under sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the BNS. The accused were apprehended on Tuesday with the help of CCTV footage, and the murder weapon, a dagger, was recovered from them, police added. PTI