A gutsy youth's courageous effort to counter eve-teasers cost him his life in Mokama.

The bold youth, Amresh Kumar (30), had dared some criminals harassing girl students of a private coaching institute. A resident of Rampur Dumra village under the jurisdiction of Marachi police station, Amresh was killed late on Monday night.

The victim's brother, Amardeep Kumar, told police that Amresh had resisted some youths harassing the girl students of the coaching institute run by him at the village. He had also complained to the parents of the tormentors about their activities and demanded action against them.

Amardeep said his brother was earlier threatened with dire consequences but he did not take the matter seriously. 'He had turned down the request of the family to lodge a formal complaint against the youths with the police because he wanted to settle the matter at the village itself,' he said.

Irked over the murder of Amresh, a group of residents of Dumra village blocked the National Highway 80 (which connects Mokama with Lakhisarai) and paralysed the traffic for nearly 10 hours demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and adequate compensation to the family of the victim.

The road blockade was lifted only after the police pledged to book the assailants at the earliest.

'The suspects have been identified and an operation has been launched to apprehend them,' said Barh sub-divisional police officer Manoj Kumar Tiwari. He said the accused were absconding after the incident.