Dumka: Three persons have been detained after a youth was beaten to death in Godda’s Rampur village late on Wednesday.Preliminary reports suggest that the murder was the result of an old rivalry, police said. The deceased has been identified as Niraj Kumar, 25, who recently returned to his hometown from Gwalior after taking his BEd examinations.According to police, around midnight, a call was received on the emergency helpline 112 informing that Niraj had allegedly entered the accused’s house and was caught.Acting on the tip-off, the Pathargama police rushed to the spot where Niraj was found critically injured in the accused’s home and was immediately taken to the local Community Health Centre. He succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to a higher medical centre.“The victim was still alive when he was rescued and told us he was hit by a hammer on the head after his hands and legs were tied up,” said assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police Bharat Yadav. Police have also recovered a rope from the scene.The victim’s elder brother, Ranjit, claimed that his younger brother was forcibly taken from his home by the accused and did not go there on his own. He further said that there was a long-standing dispute between the two families, which was previously reported to the police.“I lodged an FIR against the accused persons after they assaulted me on Holi. But police didn’t take any action this time also, as in the case of previous incidents reported to the police,” Ranjit claimed before the media.Neeraj Kumar is survived by his parents, an elder brother and a sister. Pathargama police station officials confirmed that three suspects have been taken into custody and further investigation is underway. Police, however, have not revealed the names of those detained.