Police have apprehended 12 juveniles in connection with the death of an 18-year-old school student, who was allegedly assaulted by a group of students in Tiruvottiyur.On Friday evening, police received information that an 18-year-old was lying unconscious on vacant land behind the Ajax Bus Stand, near a government school. A patrolling team rushed to the spot and took the boy to Government Stanley Hospital in an ambulance. However, doctors who examined him said he had died on the way to the hospital.Police identified the deceased as Dhanush, 18, son of Venkatesh and a resident of Vasanth Nagar, Tiruvottiyur. He was studying Class XII at the Jaigopal Garodia Government Higher Secondary School. Upon receipt of information, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Washermenpet, V. Baskaran, visited the spot and conducted a preliminary inquiry.According to police, Dhanush and his friend, both Class XII students of the school, were talking to a female classmate on the school campus on Thursday. At the time, a 17-year-old Class XI student of the same school allegedly stared at Dhanush while passing by, leading to a verbal altercation between them. On learning about the incident, the school headmaster summoned both students, counselled them and reprimanded them.Angered by the verbal altercation, the Class XI student informed his friends while meeting them at the vacant ground behind the Ajax bus terminus on Friday evening. When Dhanush passed by, the group allegedly called him over, picked a quarrel and assaulted him. Dhanush collapsed and became unconscious following the assault. Based on a complaint filed by Dhanush’s mother, Lakshmi, 45, Tiruvottriyur police registered a case and detained 12 juveniles, aged between 16 and 17, who are students of the same school, and questioned them in connection with the assault. Police said the juveniles would be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board after the inquiry.Meanwhile, relatives of Dhanush staged a protest on Friday night near the Tiruvottriyur police station. They alleged that around 30 students were involved in the assault and demanded the arrest of all those involved. Published - August 15, 2026 09:41 pm IST