Ten-year-old boy beaten to death in Karnataka for stealing snacks

A 10-year-old boy was allegedly tortured to death by a shop owner and his associates for reportedly stealing snacks from the store in Haveri district of Karnataka on March 16, police sources said on Wednesday. The boy named Harishayya Hiremath was allegedly locked up in a room, tied to a stone, and beaten.

He died at a hospital on Monday, the sources said. The shop is located at Uppanasi village in Hanagal taluk.

The shop owner Praveen Karishettar and others are absconding, police said. According to the boy's father Nagayya Hiremath, his son was in the captivity of the shop owner when they went in search of him as he did not return for long.

Only after the father's repeated requests the boy was reportedly set free in the evening of March 16, the sources said. He was immediately taken to a Haveri hospital and subsequently shifted to another one at Hubballi, where he died, they said.

Police sources said they are waiting for the post-mortem report to know the exact cause of death, and arrest those absconding.