Ranchi: Police who suspect a love quadrangle are looking for two youths on a red Apache racing bike in connection with Monday's murder of a 16-year-old boy in Bero, around 25km from the capital.

Vikas Kumar Mahto, a Class IX student of a local government middle school, was found dead on his bed with a bullet hole in his neck in the evening, hours after his grandmother saw the bikers - believed to be acquaintances - leaving their Jaria home in the afternoon.

A policeman at Bero said inspection of the crime scene had yielded a bunch of love letters purportedly exchanged between the deceased and a girl, besides an empty cartridge of a 9mm pistol. There were also indications that the deceased had had a couple of drink with his visitors and suspected killers.

"At first, we were looking at other theories like altercation with a neighbour over cattle grazing or a drunken brawl between friends. But now, there seems to be a definite love angle emerging. The girl whom the deceased loved had other admirers too, it seems," the cop said.

Bero thana OC Jitendra Kumar Raman confirmed recovery of the love letters and cartridge, but refused to share details. "We first need to get hold of the two youths who came on a red bike last (Monday) morning. They are the prime suspects," he said.

According to officer Raman, the youths visited Vikas around 10.30am. His grandmother saw them talking while leaving for the field. When she returned around 12.30pm, she noticed the youth dashing off in a hurry.

Asked why the murder came to the fore in the evening, the officer said the elderly woman was under the impression that her grandson was sleeping. "She raised an alarm when he didn't leave his room past 6pm and she went in to chance upon blood and a body," OC Raman said, adding that a dog squad had been pressed into service.

Sources in Bero said Vikas was the elder son of farmer Mahavir Mahto, who has leased an agricultural land in Dhurwa. His younger brother is mentally challenged.

"Vikas went to school every day as well as ran a fast food stall to support his father who grows vegetables and paddy," a policeman said, adding that the body had been sent to RIMS for post-mortem.

Local resident Mangru Mahto said the administration had promised compensation to the family. "Last night, people blocked the Ranchi-Gumla road. The protest ended around 11pm when a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and an Indira Awas Yojana home were promised by the chairman of 20-point implementation committee Rajeev Ranjan Adhikari and Bero DSP Sanjay Kumar," he added.