A 13-year-old boy, the son of a teacher at Comilla University, was allegedly beaten to death after refusing to hand over his iPhone, police said.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of Ishiat Shahriar Apurba. Police said three of them were directly involved in the murder, while the involvement of the fourth suspect is still being examined.

At a press conference on Sunday, Cumilla Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman said the suspects had an “unequal friendship” with the victim, who was a Class Seven student.

The arrested suspects were identified as Saiful Islam Tuhin, 19; Mozammel Hossain Fahad, 15; Kamrul Hasan, 15; and Md Siyam.

According to the police, investigators began examining the case immediately after a general diary was filed. CCTV footage allegedly showed Tuhin taking Apurba to an isolated forested area in the Lalmai hills.

Police said Tuhin was primarily interested in the victim’s iPhone. Following information obtained from Tuhin, investigators arrested Fahad, who allegedly told police that his friend Kamrul was also involved in the killing.

Police said CCTV footage showed Tuhin taking Apurba to an isolated location known as Sananda, surrounded by hills, between around 2:00 and 2:15 p.m. on the day of the incident.

After recovering Apurba’s body, police took Tuhin into custody for questioning.

According to the police chief, Tuhin allegedly confessed during questioning that he had taken Apurba to the secluded location as part of a plan to take his iPhone.

Police said the initial investigation indicates that between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., the suspects attempted to take the phone from Apurba. When he resisted, a struggle broke out.

Police allege that Tuhin, followed by Fahad and Kamrul, repeatedly struck Apurba on the head with heavy bamboo sticks. After confirming that the boy had died, Tuhin allegedly took the iPhone and fled the scene with Fahad and Kamrul.

Police said a charge sheet would be submitted to the court soon after the remaining investigation is completed.

SP Anisuzzaman also said police would seek an expedited trial in the case, citing the recent speedy verdict in another murder case.

He highlighted the age difference between the victim and the suspects. Apurba was 13 and studying in Class Seven, while Tuhin was 19 and had dropped out after failing Class 11 at Comilla City College in 2025.

Fahad and Kamrul, both 15, were students of Class Nine at Mainamati Technical School and College, while Siyam was a Class 12 student at Abdul Khamid Degree College.

Police described the relationships between the suspects and the victim as an “unequal friendship,” noting that they were older than Apurba and were not his classmates.

The police chief also said the arrested suspects were involved in making TikTok videos.

Police said they would complete the remaining investigation and submit the police report to the court as soon as possible.