Jalna (Maharashtra): An eight-year-old boy was allegedly strangled to death by two fellow students following a quarrel at a residential school in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place at a government-aided English-medium school for tribal children in Bhokardan tehsil.

District Superintendent of Police Ajaykumar Bansal confirmed that the boy was found dead on Tuesday morning and that two minors have been detained in connection with the incident.

"An altercation broke out between the victim and two other minors, aged 8 and 14. The two allegedly strangled the victim with a rope while he was asleep. We have detained the juveniles involved, and an investigation is underway," Bansal said.

The boys had a fight over a trivial issue on Monday evening. Later that night, the victim went to sleep in the school dormitory after dinner, another official said.

Seizing the opportunity, the accused minors allegedly strangled him with a rope, he said.

On Tuesday morning, when the victim failed to wake up, the school staff rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Doctors at the hospital observed strangulation marks on his neck, the official said.

A probe was underway into the incident, the police said. PTI