The fatal stabbing at Dakshineswar Metro station on Friday was the bloody culmination of a simmering rivalry between two groups of schoolboys — led by the accused and the victim — that had seen public clashes over the past few weeks, police said on Saturday.

The groups were led by Rana Singh, 18, the boy who allegedly pulled the knife, and Monojit Yadav, 17, the boy who died in the attack. Rana was arrested from Howrah station late on Friday.

A senior officer of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said a confrontation between the two began at Shyambazar Metro station on Friday afternoon and escalated into murder after they got off at Dakshineswar.

Both Class XI students at Bagbazar High School, Monojit was in the arts stream, while Rana studied commerce. They had gone separately to school on Friday to appear for their exams.

“After school, Monojit and his friends reached Shyambazar station first. Rana arrived later with his group. While waiting for the train to Dakshineswar, Monojit gestured to Rana, asking if he wanted some khaini (chewing tobacco). When Rana declined, Monojit made a lewd gesture,” said a police officer.

This provoked Rana, who walked up to Monojit and slapped him. “Rana also told Monojit that he had a knife in his bag. A scuffle broke out, but passengers waiting on
the platform intervened,” the officer added.

During interrogation after his arrest, Rana told the police that he “couldn’t hold his anger” on the Metro train.

At around 2.30pm, after they got off at Dakshineswar station, Rana allegedly followed Monojit, pulled a knife from his schoolbag and stabbed him in front of ticket counters 6, 7, and 8.

Monojit collapsed with blood oozing from his chest and shoulder. His friends carried him down the stairs from the first-floor platform and rushed him to Baranagar State General Hospital, where he died from the injuries.

After the attack, Rana went back to his rented home in Alambazar, near Dakshineswar, and confessed to his parents. His family — including his sister — decided to flee to Begusarai in Bihar and left for Howrah station, locking their home.

The police intercepted them at Howrah station and took Rana into custody. On Saturday, he was produced in Barrackpore court and remanded in five days of police custody.

“We will interrogate him and find out why he was carrying the knife in his bag and whether this was the result of a sudden fit of rage or something more,” said an investigating officer.

According to the police, the enmity between the boys dated back a few weeks. On September 5, some of their friends clashed in Baranagar after someone allegedly teased the girlfriend of one of the boys.

That fight split the group into two rival factions: one led by Rana, the other by Monojit. The students are from different schools in Baranagar, Dum Dum, and Bagbazar, the police said.

On September 6, the groups clashed again. “A day after the brawl, the groups again fought, this time in Alambazar, where both Rana and Monojit lived. Rana and his friends were beaten up during this brawl,” the officer said.

An attempt at reconciliation was made on September 11, when a person known to both groups mediated a peace deal. The police said friends of both boys had expected calm to return. “On Friday, when Rana and Monojit left for school, their friends thought peace would prevail,” the officer said.

But the tension reignited at Shyambazar Metro station, and by the time the boys reached Dakshineswar, the long-standing feud turned fatal.