The admin of a WhatsApp group was assaulted at the behest of a member who was incensed by his removal from the group, police said.

Ahmednagar-based Chaitanya Shivaji Bhor, 18, was attacked by three persons with a sharp weapon, a senior police official said.

Chaitanya, a student of the agriculture college at Ahmednagar, had created the group with fellow college students as members.

He recently removed a member called Sachin Gadakh from the group as the latter had left the college. Gadakh was angry and decided to avenge the "insult", police said.

On May 17, Sachin's friend Amol Gadakh and two others went to the eatery where Bhor had his meals and assaulted him.

Amol attacked Bhor with a sharp weapon on his stomach, mouth and back, police said.

Chaitanya, who sustained serious injuries in the attack, was taken to a nearby hospital and was later shifted to Pune, police said.

The assailants, who are from the Nevasa tehsil, fled from the spot.