Teen Killed in Argument —Over a Kite

A group of teenagers kicked and beat a 17-year-old to death after a kite-flying dispute on the rooftops of the Indian capital, police said today. Rajan Chand had been flying a kite in a northeast Delhi neighborhood Friday when he apparently angered another boy by snapping the line on his kite. The boy allegedly threatened Chand, who ignored the threat as a passing remark. The next evening the boy and three others attacked Chand and his friend, hitting Chand with a metal object and beating the two until they were unconscious in the street, police say.

Chand was declared dead at the hospital late Saturday, while his friend was still receiving treatment today. A 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested after the attack. It was not clear if Chand and the other boy had been in a kite competition or if it was just an accident. Kite-flying can be fiercely competitive in India and other South Asian countries, with competitors often coating their lines with powdered glass in order to slice through others' lines, and August is peak kite-flying season. Yesterday, local residents demonstrated in front of the police station against the killing. (More India stories.)