Ludhiana, September 22: A youth was brutally thrashed and killed by seven men after he tried to save his friend's sister from molesters in Ram Nagar area here, police said Friday. The deceased, Dharmaraj (25), worked at a hosiery factory here.

According to a complaint filed by his father, accused Inderjit on September 17 had allegedly molested the sister of Dharmaraj's friend following which they both involved into a fight. But the next day, another accused Gurvinder told Dharmaraj that Inderjit wants to apologise and settle the matter. They fixed a meeting late in the evening in the locality. There they had heated arguments following which the accused attacked Dharmraj with sticks and bricks.

One of the bricks hit him on the head. He was rushed to a civil hospital from where he was referred to Patiala. But he was declared brought dead.

According to Ludhiana Commissioner Police (CP) Sukhchain Singh Gill, two out of the seven accused have been arrested by the police under the charge of murder.

The Station House Officer at Jamalpur, Inspector Ravinderpal Singh, said a case under various sections of the IPC has been registered against the seven accused.