In a shocking incident, a 12-year-old Hindu boy was beaten to death by a Muslim man over a minor dispute involving a lemon in Sakrawan village of Nalanda district in Bihar on Tuesday. The incident triggered a massive communal tension and clash in the area, forcing the administration to deploy police forces.
The deceased has been identified as Shubham Kumar, also known as Jhagdu, son of Rajkumar Paswan. According to eyewitnesses and villagers, the boy was playing marbles near a lemon tree on Tuesday when a lemon fell due to strong winds. Shubham reportedly plucked lemons from a tree in a nearby house.
However, the tree owner, Gorakh Mian, saw it and got very angry on the boy. He along with his two sons attacked the child with sticks, causing severe head injuries. The boy was bleeding profusely when family members rushed him to Biharsharif hospital, but he succumbed on the way.
The incident sparked immediate tension in the village. Angry villagers, carrying the boy’s body, marched towards the accused’s house. Police from Asthawan police station tried to stop them, leading to clashes with the police. Some villagers resorted to stone-pelting, injuring a few policemen. The police used baton charge to disperse the crowd. Additional forces from nearly 12 police stations were deployed to restore calm.
A local woman, Rabri Devi, stated that the child was killed merely for picking up a fallen lemon. “If the accused had any objection, he could have asked for money, but instead he beat the child to death,” she said.
#WATCH | Nalanda, Bihar: A 12-year-old boy was beaten to death in Nalanda over plucking lemons from a tree in Sakrawan village, under the Asthawan PS area.
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2026
Bharat Sony, SP Nalanda, says, "A 12-year-old Shubham Kumar was playing, and he was plucking lemons from a tree in a… pic.twitter.com/it9wun6RcG
Police said that twelve people have been arrested so far, and raids are underway to nab the remaining accused. Nalanda Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni confirmed the death and the subsequent escalation. He noted that police used mild force to control the situation. The SP assured that the situation is now under control.
Talking about the murder of the boy, SP Bharat Soni said, “A dispute erupted after the boy plucked lemons from the tree of the accused, according to villagers. We are investigating the matter to find out the exact cause behind the incident.”
The body of the teenage boy has been sent for post-mortem examination to Sadar Hospital. “We will ensure the harshest possible punishment for the culprit after proper investigation,” The SP added.
Similar incident reported days earlier in Agra
A similar heart-wrenching incident occurred a few days ago in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, where a 13-year-old Hindu boy, Amrit Kushwaha, was killed by Muslim farmers for plucking a watermelon from his family’s own farmland in Randhirpura village. The boy’s family owns the farmland, which was given on rent to some Muslim farmers, and they had planted watermelons and muskmelons there.
After the farmers saw him plucking a watermelon, they attacked and killed him on May 1. The boy’s throat was slit and his body was found with severe injuries near the field. Police registered an FIR against around 13 people, and arrested two men identified as Riazuddin and Shirazuddin. The case had also caused communal tension in the area, prompting deployment of additional police forces.
