A 17-year-old teenager was allegedly murdered by a group in central India after the suspects were led to believe his testicles could be sold for a huge sum on the black market, police said.
Investigators said the suspects were influenced by a social media video that falsely claimed human testicles could fetch a high price on the black market.
Police have arrested business student Zoheb Khan, 20, and Aamir Qureshi, 18, while three minors have also been detained in connection with the alleged murder of Rehan.
False claim allegedly led to killing
Investigators allege that Khan recruited the group and told them human testicles could be sold for about 12 million Indian rupees, or £92,465, in the Gulf.
Khan allegedly pretended to be a doctor and claimed he knew how to remove the organs.
Police said he bought a white apron, stethoscope and thermometer online and used them while showing the group how to carry out the procedure.
Rehan worked as a street vendor selling pens and key chains at a market near Iqbal Maidan in Bhopal, central India.
On Aug 6, two minors allegedly approached him at his stall and offered him 100 Indian rupees, or £0.77, to help with a fight near Khatlapura on Lower Lake.
Police said the teenagers lured him to a secluded location, where the group allegedly attacked him from behind, overpowered him and stabbed him several times with a blade.
Suspects allegedly held organs while seeking buyer
Ayush Gupta, deputy commissioner of police in Bhopal, said four of the suspects allegedly took part in the murder while Khan directed them through a video call.
After the killing, the suspects allegedly kept Rehan’s testicles in ice for two days while trying to find a buyer.
When they were unable to sell them, Khan allegedly instructed the group to dispose of the organs in separate lakes.
Police recovered Rehan’s body from Lower Lake near Dhobi Ghat on Aug 10, four days after his mother reported him missing. Investigators identified him through a tattoo.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Rehan had suffered fatal injuries and that his testicles had been removed.
Police continue search and investigation
Police have recovered the knife believed to have been used in the killing and deployed divers to search the waters for the missing organs.
Santosh Patel, assistant commissioner of police in Bhopal, said the search would be difficult, with investigators relying on the suspects to identify where the organs were allegedly disposed of.
Police have also identified people the suspects allegedly contacted as potential buyers and are questioning them to determine whether a sale had been planned.
The investigation is ongoing as police seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding Rehan’s murder and the alleged black market plot.
