Patna: A six-year-old boy was murdered early Monday morning at the hostel of Shefali International School at Devi Chowk Mohalla at Fathua in Patna City. Deceased Abhimanyu Kumar, a resident of Rasulpur under Fatuha police station, was a student of LKG.

Sources said Abhimanyu's family got a message in the morning that the boy was not waking up after which his parents arrived at the hospital and took him to a primary health centre where the doctor declared him brought dead. His body had injury marks.

Abhimanyu's father, Rakesh Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, said: "Abhimanyu and my daughter Preeti, a student of Class I, lived in the hostel. On Sunday my wife (Babita Devi) had visited the hostel to give food to the siblings. Abhimanyu has been in the hostel for the past one-and-a-half years."

Fatuha station house officer Nand Prasad said 12 people have been detained.

"We have sought the help of forensic science laboratory," he said.