Teenager killed and has testicles removed after gang believed they were worth £100,000
A teenage boy was lured to a quiet spot, killed, and had his testicles harvested by a gang who believed they would be worth nearly £100,000 on the black market.
Police say the 17-year-old victim, identified only as Rehan, was stabbed to death in the city of Bhopal, India, and his testicles were then kept on ice as the gang looked for a buyer to make their fortune.
Their belief that human testicles could fetch such a high price is said to have been inspired by a social media video which incorrectly claimed they were of incredibly high value.
Police investigating the vile murder have arrested 20-year-old business student Zoheb Khan as their prime suspect, as well as 18-year-old Aamir Qureshi and three minors.
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Khan allegedly guided the murder on a video call
Rehan's mother reported him missing. On August 10, a corpse was recovered from Chhota Talab, a lake near Dhobi Ghat.
After an appeal on social media, the body was identified as Rehan by his mum, five days after she made the call.
His horrific ordeal soon became apparent when a post-mortem revealed his testicles were missing and he had suffered multiple fatal stab wounds.
Police allege that Khan was the ringleader of the operation, recruiting Qureshi and the three minors and convincing them that a pair of testicles could be sold for 12 million Indian rupees (£92,465) in the Gulf on the black market.
It's alleged Khan even imitated a doctor to dupe his associates, going to the length of posing in a white apron and buying a stethoscope and thermometer to use while training the gang in the practise of organ removal.
When prepared, the plan was put into action on August 6.
Rehan worked as a street vendor selling pens and keychains, and it's said two of the gang's youngsters approached him on Iqbal Maidan and lured him to a quiet place with the promise of 100 rupees, which works out at 77 pence.
They are said to have asked Rehan to help them in a fight with a rival group of boys.
Instead, Rehan was attacked from behind and stabbed to death by four of the accused.
Khan, meanwhile, wasn't there but is alleged to have orchestrated the attack and talked them through the procedure or removing the testicles via a video call, says Ayush Gupta, the deputy commissioner of Bhopal Police.
NDTV reports some of the accused already knew Rehan, whose father had died, and befriended him. It's said he was selected as a boy over the age of 15 was required.
The gang did not find a buyer, at which point Khan is said to have ordered each of Rehan's testicles to be thrown into separate lakes.
Police say they have recovered the murder weapon, a blade, but that the search for the missing testicles has proved more challenging.
Divers were sent to the depths on the hunt, but Santosh Patel, Bhopal's assistant commissioner of police, said they were reliant on one of the suspects revealing where exactly they were disposed of.
The investigation continues, with police questioning people the gang allegedly approached as potential buyers to ask if any sale was planned.
Topics: Crime, World News
Daniel Murphy