A 15-year-old student of a Motihari-based private school in East Champaran was stabbed to death, allegedly over an affair, late on Tuesday night.

The police said a group of criminals intercepted Vipul Tripathi, a Class X student of the local Shanti Niketan Jubilee High School, when he was returning to his rented house from Bapudham railway station and killed him with a sharp weapon.

Vipul, a native of Pakridayal in East Champaran, received around 30 stab injuries in the process. He was rushed to a private nursing home where he died during the course of treatment. Vipul was living as tenant in the house of Vijay Singh in Motihari, around 150km north of Patna.

The deceased's father, Rajeshwar Tripathi, said Vipul was living with his mother and two young brothers in Motihari's Shantipuri for studies. "Some residents said he was killed for having an affair with a girl," he told the investigating officials.

On getting information, the station house officer (SHO) of Motihari town police station, Anand Kumar, said the call details of the mobile phone of the deceased had been obtained. "The scrutiny of the call records will help the police trace the suspects," he told The Telegraph over phone.

The SHO said five criminals attacked Vipul with a knife at least 30 times. "Of the 30 injury marks, 12 stab wounds had been found on the abdomen of the victim, he added.

The SHO said the motive behind the attack on the minor was to kill him. "The attackers fled the spot only when they were sure that Vipul will die," he said, adding that prima facie, the incident was a fallout of a love affair.

A police team led by the SHO conducted raids at different hideouts of the suspects in the town. Another team quizzed some students of the school where Vipul used to go. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem on Wednesday.