Nanjangud: A 19-year-old youth, critically injured during a birthday celebration, succumbed to his injuries after a three-day battle for life. The tragic incident occurred in Kempisiddanahundi village, Nanjangud Taluk.

The deceased, Kiran (19), son of K.K. Swamy, was allegedly assaulted by a group of friends during the party. Nanjangud Rural Police have registered a case against five youths from the same village — Vasanth Kumar, Madhusudhan, Ravichandra, Chandra and Siddaraju — all of whom have been arrested.

The incident unfolded on July 15, 2025, during the birthday celebration of Ravichandra. Kiran, along with the five others, gathered near the Hejjige bridge where they consumed alcohol.

During the party, Vasanth briefly stepped away, leaving his phone behind. A woman (identity not revealed to protect her) called him, and the call was answered by Kiran, who reportedly questioned her about the reason for the call.

Later, when Vasanth returned and spoke to Rashmi, he discovered that Kiran had taken the earlier call, triggering an argument. In a fit of rage, Vasanth allegedly slapped Kiran.

Attempting to leave the scene on Madhusudhan’s motorcycle, Kiran was reportedly chased down by Vasanth, allegedly provoked by the others not to let Kiran go. Vasanth then rammed his motorcycle into Kiran from behind and ran over his abdomen, reportedly with the intent to kill.

What started as a trivial argument over a phone call ended in a brutal assault on a day meant for celebration.

Kiran sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed on Thursday night. The accused initially tried to pass off the incident as an accident. However, a thorough investigation led by Inspector Sunil Kumar of Nanjangud Rural Police confirmed it was a deliberate act.

Following the postmortem on Friday, Kiran’s body was handed over to his grieving family, with emotional scenes unfolding during the final rites. A formal complaint has been filed, and legal proceedings are on.