Indore, Jan 13: Apparently influenced by a film star Sanjay Dutt's role in a film, three persons hacked to death a youth in Meghdoot Nagar locality of the city here on Saturday night. The accused have been identified as Ashu Singh Thakur, Suraj and Dharmraj respectively.

Police said the deceased identified as Vijay Joshi, who was an electrician by profession, had a tiff with the accused over a sum of Rs 50. The deceased had done some electrical works at the residence of Ashu and he had not been paid money for the same. On Saturday night, the accused stabbed Vijay with knife 25 times in Meghdoot Nagar on Saturday night, killing him on the spot. All the three accused however, were arrested by the police on Sunday.

Police said all the three accused impressed by a film Plan starring film star Sanjay Dutt, who had played the role of a gangster in that film, had formed a Musha gang sporting similar kind of beard as had been done by Sanjay Dutt. The kingpin of this gang had a similar knife as was kept by Sanjay Dutt in the film Plan. The accused used the same knife in stabbing the deceased who apparently had no enmity with anybody.

The deceased's father is a security guard and has two sisters. He supported the income of his family by doing small kinds of electrician's work.