Maharashtra teen killed by friend over Instagram vote dispute; accused held: Report

The victim apparently got more votes than the accused on an Instagram story, causing a dispute among the two.

A 17-year-old boy was murdered by a man in Maharashtra over an Instagram story, local police said on Monday. The incident took place in Pimpalgaon village of Hinganghat area in Maharashtra’s Wardha district on Saturday.

The accused has been arrested by the police and further investigation is on. (Representational photo)

The police have put a dispute over a social media post at the centre of the horrible crime, news agency PTI reported.

Nearly a month back, the victim, Himanshu Chimney, put up a story on Instagram with the accused Manav Jumnake. They asked for votes on the story, said the police without providing much further details.

The victim apparently got more votes than the accused, causing a dispute among the two. Both of them met on Saturday to discuss the issue, however, a verbal spat broke out between them. Following this, the accused allegedly attacked Himanshu along with his friend with a knife, the report said citing an official from Hinganghat police station. Himanshu died after the attack, the report added.

The accused has been arrested by the police and further investigation is on.

Such incidences of violent crimes fuelled by social media rivalry are not new. In July 2024, a 15-year-old boy allegedly killed a 16-year-old in Gurugram allegedly over chatting with a girl on social media, said police.

The victim was brutally stabbed in the neck, chest and torso, despite which he managed to run at least 250 metres into a residential road, before finally collapsing in front of a house where he died, police said.

The dispute between the two stemmed from the suspect having befriended the victim’s ex-girlfriend on Instagram, said police.

With PTI inputs.