Indian Teen Killed for His Testicles by Gang Over Fake Social Media Claim They Were Worth £100,000

Police have arrested Zoheb Khan, 20, and Aamir Qureshi, 18, and detained three minors

Bhopal, Aug 19:  A 17-year-old street vendor was lured to a secluded spot, stabbed to death and mutilated by a gang who believed a social media video claiming human testicles could be sold for a huge sum on the black market, police in central India have said.

The victim, identified as Rehan, sold pens and key chains at a market near Iqbal Maidan in Bhopal. According to investigators, two minors approached him at his stall on August 6 and offered him Rs 100 (£0.77) to help with what they described as a fight near Khatlapura on Lower Lake. He was then allegedly taken to a secluded area and stabbed repeatedly with a blade.

Police have arrested the alleged ringleader, Zoheb Khan, a 20-year-old business student, along with Aamir Qureshi, 18. Three minors have also been detained.

Investigators allege Khan recruited the group after seeing a video online falsely claiming that testicles could fetch around 12 million Indian rupees (£92,465) on the black market in the Gulf. To convince his associates he knew how to remove the organs, Khan allegedly posed as a doctor, buying a white apron, stethoscope and thermometer online and using them while training the group.

Ayush Gupta, deputy commissioner of police in Bhopal, said four of the accused carried out the killing while Khan guided them over a video call.

The gang allegedly kept the victim's testicles packed in ice for two days while attempting to find a buyer. When the effort failed, Khan reportedly ordered the group to dispose of the organs in separate lakes.

Police recovered Rehan's body from Lower Lake near Dhobi Ghat on August 10 — five days after his mother had reported him missing — and identified him through a tattoo. A post-mortem examination confirmed fatal stab injuries and that his testicles had been removed.

Officers have recovered the blade believed to have been used in the killing and deployed divers to search the lake waters for the missing organs.

"The search will be difficult," said Santosh Patel, Bhopal's assistant commissioner of police, adding that officers were relying on the suspects to reveal where the organs were disposed of.

Investigators have also identified individuals the gang allegedly approached as potential buyers and are questioning them to determine whether any sale had been planned.