Police on Tuesday booked a close friend of a final-year MBBS student at Government Medical College, Patiala, whose body was found with stab wounds at his paying guest accommodation, for murder.
“Mohit Verma, a childhood friend of the deceased Kamaldeep Kumar Mittal, has been booked under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He is absconding,” Patiala Superintendent of Police Balwinder Singh Cheema said.
Kamaldeep, 24, was found dead in his room in the city’s New Lal Bagh area on Monday. “Mohit was the last person seen with Kamaldeep before his death. Investigation revealed that the accused stayed with the victim on Sunday night and left the residence the next morning at 7:15 am carrying a bag. The autopsy reveals that Kamaldeep was killed between 6:15 am and 7:15 am,” a police official said. Mohit hails from Bareta in Mansa district which is also Kamaldeep’s hometown.
“After the murder, Mohit went to his hometown and then fled from there. Our teams are conducting raids and he will be arrested soon,” SP Cheema said.
When asked about the motive, the service provider said that the exact details would not become clear until the accused was arrested. Kamaldeep’s family members alleged that the accused was demanding money from the deceased.
Financial issue behind the murder?
According to officials involved in the investigation, the perimeter of approx $25,000 from the deceased’s phone to his account after the murder.
A police official said that an autopsy showed that the victim had more than 10 stab wounds, most of them around the neck and face. Forensic experts described the murder as exceptionally violent due to the nature and number of injuries sustained by the victim.
An official familiar with the investigation said: “Multiple stab wounds to the neck completely damaged the vocal cords. Most of the wounds were deep in the bone. The killer used a sharp weapon.” Investigators believe the murder may have stemmed from a personal dispute, although the exact motive has not yet been determined.
Why do the cops take so long to catch the killer, wonders the victim’s father
Kamaldeep’s relatives claimed that the investigation was progressing slowly. Mohinderpal Mittal, father of the deceased, said: “It has been more than 36 hours since my son was killed and the police have not been able to arrest the accused.” He added: “I want the most severe punishment to be imposed on the man who killed my son.”
However, Patiala DSP Sanjeev Kumar said, “We rushed to register the FIR after identifying the accused. Teams led by CIA officials have been formed to conduct raids at multiple locations to nab the accused.”
