Nagpur: An 18-year-old youth was stabbed to death in Nagpur's Kushinagar area following an alleged old dispute, triggering panic in the locality early Thursday morning. A friend who tried to intervene was also seriously injured in the attack.

The deceased has been identified as Rajveer Sohan Kumar Sharma (18), a resident of Kushinagar. The accused have been identified as Raj Ilamkar (22), Rohit Ilamkar (20) and Honey Dongre (25), all residents of the same area.

According to Jaripatka Police, the incident took place around 1.30 am on Thursday in a lane near NIT Garden in Kushinagar. The Ilamkar brothers allegedly had a longstanding dispute with Rajveer.

Police said Rajveer encountered the three accused near NIT Garden late Wednesday night. The accused allegedly surrounded him and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons.

When Rajveer's friend Nayan Sonbarse saw the assault, he reportedly rushed to his aid. However, the attackers allegedly turned on Nayan and seriously injured him as well.

Both victims were rushed to a private hospital. Doctors examined Rajveer and declared him dead, while Nayan was admitted for treatment.

Following a complaint lodged by Rajveer's mother, Shalu Sohan Kumar Sharma, Jaripatka Police registered a murder case against the three accused.

The accused allegedly fled the spot after the attack. Police teams have launched a search operation to trace and arrest them.

The incident has caused concern among residents of Kushinagar and Jaripatka, with police investigating the exact circumstances leading to the fatal attack and the alleged previous dispute between the deceased and the accused.