India, March 27 -- Three teenagers, aged 16 and 17, brutally murdered a 15-year-old neighbour, dumped his body in a forested area, and then staged his kidnapping to demand a Rs.10 lakh ransom - a crime police said on Wednesday was planned nearly a month in advance.

The three were detained a day after committing the murder on Sunday night near Bhalswa Lake. According to the police, the victim was friends with the accused. Investigators revealed that they were looking to make money, though the exact reason remains unclear. Investigators said they are also probing other possible motives, including personal enmity or a past dispute.

"We have examined the three boys, two of them aged 17 and the third is 16, thoroughly in the case. They told ...