A 13-year-old boy who went missing from Irugur in Coimbatore on May 15 was found dead late on Sunday (May 17, 2026).

The police arrested two of his friends, aged 15 and 13, for alleged murder.

The deceased has been identified as B. Rithish, a resident of Pudhu Colony at Irugur. He was a Class VII student at a government school in A.G. Pudur.

According to the police, the father of the deceased lodged a complaint at the Singanallur police station on May 16, stating that his son went missing after he went out with the two minor friends around 3.30 p.m. the previous day. The boys had gone the Noyyal river near Masaniamman temple to catch fish.

The boys held on the charge of murder had claimed that Rithish went with a known person, who came in a scooter, when they were catching fish.

Though the police and relatives launched extensive searches, they could not trace the missing boy.

“The two friends were questioned again on Sunday evening. The 15-year-old boy confessed to having assaulted Rithish, over alleged vulgar remarks made by the latter about his mother. He assaulted Rithish with an empty liquor bottle. The boy fell unconscious, after which his friends left the spot. The body was found in a swampy area on the riverbank late on Sunday,” said a police officer.

The police shifted the body from the spot for post-mortem examination to determine the cause of the death.

“It was the 15-year-old boy who assaulted the deceased. The other boy, who was a witness to the assault, did not disclose the incident to anyone. The autopsy findings will reveal whether the death was due to the assault or due to the fall into the swampy area,” the official added.