VARANASI, March 31 -- A 17-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death by six people near Kannadari village in Varanasi on Saturday night over suspicion of stealing a mobile phone, police said. Sonu Ali, a mechanic from Punditpur village in Rohania area, was the sole earner for his family. According to his mother Sahana's written police complaint, Ramesh Patel alias Bablu, Rohit Patel, Ravi, Govinda and Guddu forcibly took her son from their house around 8 pm on Saturday, alleging he had stolen a phone. Though Sahana pleaded with them not to take her son, they forcibly dragged him away, claiming they would take him to the police outpost. Instead, they beat him badly near Kannadari village. When his condition deteriorated, they took him to the police outpost, from where police rushed him to a government hospital. Doctors referred him to a private medical college in Bhadwari, where he was declared dead. Police registered a case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 191(2) (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against five named and one unidentified person at Rohania police station. "Ramesh Patel, 29, the main accused was arrested from near Ghamahapur crossing on Sunday night," said inspector Raju Singh, station house officer at Rohania. Patel had two prior cases against him. One was registered in 2016 under section 279, 427 IPC and the Cow Slaughter Act. The second was filed in 2018 under section 307, 419, 420 IPC and Excise Act provisions. Sonu's uncle Akhtar alleged that Patel was formerly involved in cattle smuggling and had served jail time. Patel suspected Sonu had tipped off authorities, leading to his arrest, and harboured a grudge against him. "The mobile phone theft was merely a pretext," Akhtar said. Pramod Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Varuna Zone, said, "Two teams have been constituted to ensure the arrest of the remaining named accused. The accused will be arrested soon. The entire matter is currently under investigation."...