Sanya Krivoshei was soaked in gasoline and set alight on the orders of the group's leader, Vasya Bogayev, 14. Three other boys, ages 14, 12 and 11, did as he ordered, Komsomolskaya Pravda said.
"Sanya's only guilt was trying to get a slice of the lucrative business," it said. The boys earned up to 7,000 rubles ($2.30) a day by filling cars' tanks.
A nearby motorist put out the flames, and Sanya was hospitalized with severe burns.
The other boys were released by police for lack of witnesses, Komsomolskaya Pravda said.
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