Two minors murder Bengaluru teen in UP village to steal iPhone for making Instagram reels

What is the full story behind the murder of a Bengaluru youth over an iPhone in Bahraich village?

In a disturbing crime that highlights the growing influence of social media on young minds, two minors from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district were arrested for murdering a 19-year-old man in cold blood. The motive: stealing the victim’s iPhone to create high-quality reels for social media platforms like Instagram.

The incident took place on June 20, 2025, in the village of Nagaur. The victim, Shadab Ansari, had returned from Bengaluru to attend his maternal uncle’s wedding. According to the police, the accused — aged just 14 and 16 — lured Shadab to an abandoned guava orchard on the pretext of shooting reels. There, they slit his throat and bludgeoned his head with a brick. His body was found near a dilapidated tubewell a day later.

Authorities say the juveniles confessed to planning the murder four days in advance. Their only objective was to possess the iPhone Shadab owned, which they believed would help them shoot better reels and gain more likes, followers, and potentially even revenue. The iPhone, the murder weapon, and the brick used in the assault were all recovered.

The shocking nature of the crime has since sparked public outrage across Uttar Pradesh and beyond.

How did police identify the teenage accused and what actions have been taken under Indian law?

Police in Bahraich launched a manhunt after Shadab was reported missing on June 21. His decomposed body was recovered later that day. Upon investigation, authorities arrested the two juveniles on June 26 and later charged them under sections 103(1) (murder) and 238 (concealment of evidence) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the updated criminal code.

The minors were sent to the Divisional Juvenile Reform Home in Gonda. In addition to the two boys, police also booked two adult relatives who allegedly helped in concealing the murder weapon and aided the minors in fleeing. One of them was arrested on June 27 and sent to jail, while the other remains at large.

According to Station House Officer Daddan Singh, law enforcement has intensified the search for the absconding accused. All accused will be tried under the relevant provisions of the BNS, which replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2023 with a renewed focus on criminal justice reform and faster delivery of justice.

Why did the teenagers target the iPhone and what role did social media addiction play in the crime?

In their confessions, the minors admitted to wanting Shadab’s iPhone specifically to improve the quality of their video content. The belief that better technology would lead to better engagement—likes, shares, and views—drove them to orchestrate a murder.

This case illustrates a dangerous intersection of digital aspiration and socio-economic disparity. Access to high-end smartphones, once a luxury, is increasingly seen as a necessity by youth looking to participate in the online creator economy. However, without adequate understanding of ethics, legality, or consequences, some are falling into perilous behavior in pursuit of digital relevance.

Experts and child psychologists have previously warned about the impact of algorithm-driven validation cycles on adolescent brains. The dopamine hit of going viral, combined with the perceived low risk of being held accountable as a minor, creates a volatile cocktail—one now culminating in fatal violence.

What has been the response from the local community and law enforcement after the killing?

Following the discovery of Shadab’s body, villagers and family members gathered in protest outside the Superintendent of Police’s office in Bahraich. They accused police of delaying action even after being informed of the boy’s disappearance. The delay in registering an FIR and beginning a search allegedly cost critical time.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha reassured the public that all angles of the crime would be thoroughly investigated. The swift arrest of the minors, along with the recovery of key evidence, has brought some relief, but trust between locals and police remains strained.

Public sentiment, especially in rural areas where mobile technology has rapidly penetrated without parallel digital literacy, remains one of frustration and fear. Many parents and community leaders are now calling for better awareness programs to guide youth away from destructive digital fantasies.

How does this case reflect broader issues of youth crime, digital addiction, and justice in India?

The Bahraich iPhone murder is not an isolated event but part of a disturbing trend involving adolescents and digital fixation. With social media’s pervasive presence, stories of petty crimes for phones, online clout, and content creation have become more frequent. However, the premeditated murder of a peer signals an alarming escalation.

India’s demographic dividend includes a vast youth population, many of whom are navigating the internet and social platforms unsupervised. The country has over 700 million smartphone users, and apps like Instagram and YouTube are popular among teens and preteens. Yet, there is little formal digital ethics education in most school curricula.

Lawmakers introduced the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita in 2023 to expedite criminal justice and strengthen legal provisions against new-age crimes. However, incidents like this underscore the urgent need to expand its application to juvenile justice reform, focusing on both rehabilitation and deterrence.

What measures can be taken by families, schools, and platforms to prevent such violent behavior?

Preventing another tragedy like Bahraich requires a multi-stakeholder approach. At the family level, parental supervision of device usage and conversations around internet safety must become regular. Schools need to introduce modules on digital citizenship, emotional regulation, and content ethics.

Government institutions can strengthen juvenile monitoring systems and invest in rehabilitation-oriented juvenile homes. Digital platforms, too, bear a responsibility. With AI-based algorithms that reward engagement, platforms could invest in educational campaigns that promote positive content creation and alert users to the dangers of seeking fame at any cost.

This case also revives the debate over age-gating, content monetization limits, and whether young creators should be allowed to earn revenue or go viral without adult consent and accountability frameworks in place.

Why is the Bahraich iPhone murder case a wake-up call for India’s digital future?

The Bahraich murder stands at the intersection of youth vulnerability, social media obsession, and systemic gaps in education and enforcement. It raises urgent questions for India’s digital governance roadmap. As more Tier 2 and rural youth come online, the country must ensure that digital opportunity doesn’t turn into digital tragedy.

If left unaddressed, the combination of economic aspiration, technological accessibility, and insufficient oversight may fuel further violent crimes born not out of greed, but out of a desperate desire for online approval.

Shadab Ansari’s murder is more than a criminal case—it is a chilling reminder that the price of a few reels, in the wrong hands, can be a young life.