The accused later surrendered at the nearby police station. (Representational)
A 19-year-old youth was stabbed to death allegedly by the owner of a house, which he broke into early on Wednesday, police said.
The accused later surrendered at the nearby police station and admitted that he killed the youth suspecting him to be a thief.
Anish George, a native of Pettah in the heart of the city, was killed by Lalu, who also hails from the same place.
According to the accused, the shocking incident took place by around 3.30 am.
Lalu said he woke up to some noise in one of the rooms on the first floor of the house and found George there.
Suspecting him to be a thief, he immediately attacked the person using a sharp weapon.
Later, he rushed to the nearby police station and narrated the entire incident and surrendered.
Though the youth was admitted to the medical college hospital he succumbed to injuries, police said.
A police officer said investigation is progressing and all aspects would be probed.
"It is a murder...The investigation is in preliminary stage. We suspect that some personal issues might have led to the crime. We can divulge the details only after a thorough inquiry," he told reporters.
Asked about the motive of the murder, he said it was too early or premature to confirm any aspect right now, he said adding that the accused is under police surveillance.