Thamarassery, Kozhikode: The team probing the brutal murder of a tenth standard student Mohammed Shahbaz here has recovered crucial evidence in the case.

The investigation team recovered the weapon used in the attack - a nunchaku and four mobile phones belonging to the accused students, during simultaneous raids conducted at the houses of the five accused students on Sunday.

The investigation revealed that the students had created WhatsApp and Instagram groups to plan the attack. The recovered phones are expected to provide vital clues regarding the conspiracy, those involved in the assault, and whether any adults had aided the crime. According to the post-mortem report, a severe head injury was the cause of Shahbaz’s death, confirming that the wound was inflicted with a weapon.

Shahbaz (15), a student of MJ Higher Secondary School, Elettil, was assaulted and killed following a dispute during a farewell party at Triss Tuition Centre. Though he was not a student at the tuition centre, he became involved in the altercation along with his classmates. The clash broke out between students from Elettil School and GVHSS Thamarassery, who attended the tuition centre.

Shahbaz, who sustained critical head injuries during the attack, was first admitted to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital on Thursday night and later shifted to Kozhikode Medical College. Despite being under ventilator support in the ICU, he suffered two cardiac arrests on Friday. He breathed his last around 1 am on Saturday.

The post-mortem confirmed that Shahbaz died due to head trauma. His temporal bone, located above the right ear, was fractured, with blood clots forming in the region. 

The police have charged the five students under murder charges, as the probe continues to unravel the shocking conspiracy behind the tragedy.