Three schoolboys were arrested Thursday night on charge of killing a classmate in a quarrel over a digital music player near Beribadh under Pahartali Police Station in the port city.

The detained students are Farhad. 14, son of Mohammad Alam of Biswa Colony, Parvez. 15, son of Enamul Haque of City Gate, and Shuvo Chowdhury, 14, son of Aslsh Chowdhury of Kattali area in the city.

Police said they picked up the three students of class-VIII of Mostafa-Hakim High School from their houses at about 8:30pm following a tip-off and took them to the killing spot on the night.

Around 3:30am yesterday, the detained students allegedly confessed to their involvement in the killing of their classmate Shahriar KhandokerHridoy, police said.

Investigation Officer (10) of the case Biplob Kumar Nath quoting the arrestees said Hridoy bought the digital music-player with the money he took from his mother and he used to bring it to die school.

He said the three students took Hridoy to die beach area of die Beribadh in the name of travelling on May 9, the day he was killed

At one stage, Parvez demanded die music player and Tk 2 lakh from Hridoy for doing poultry business, said the IO.

Parvez told reporters at die police station that he strangled Hridoy while Shuvo and Farhad assisted him in the killing after the victim refused to give the music player to them.

"After his death, we threw the body and his school bag into the sea.' described Parvez. The body of Hridoy was found near an embankment in the area a day after die killing.

Tajnahar Begum, mother of the victim, filed a case with the police station accusing unidentified persons after die murder.