Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya on Saturday confirmed strict action on the alleged murder of a 17-year-old boy in Ghaziabad amid Eid celebrations earlier this week and said legal action would be taken to hang the killers.
The teenage boy was stabbed to death by another boy during an altercation at Lokpriya Vihar in Khoda on Thursday, police said on Friday, adding that the attack took place on Thursday. On Saturday, CCTV footage allegedly showing the moments of the alleged incident also emerged.
“Whoever the killer is, he will not be saved. He will be found. Legal action will be taken to hang the killers. The government is serious about law and order. Strict action will be taken against those who committed this crime… The culprits did this because of the hatred they hold…” Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya on Saturday told news agency ANI.
What is the case
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Indirapuram) Abhishek Srivastava told HT that the incident took place around 3.30 pm on Thursday when the suspect and the 17-year-old were with their friends.
The suspect apparently called the boy over to him, and a verbal argument ensued. The suspect quickly took out a knife, stabbed the boy and fled with his friends, the ACP said, adding that the injured boy’s friends called his family, and together they took him to a hospital in Noida, where he died on Friday.
The incident led to protests from members of other sects in the area on Friday. Officials said the 17-year-old was with two friends at the time of the accident.
Shocking allegations by the family
Meanwhile, the victim’s mother claimed that her son was lured before he was attacked. The deceased mother told ANI on Friday: “On Eid, a boy tricked my child into calling him. He was asked if he had ever seen a goat slaughtered, and he said no. Then he stabbed my child… I want justice….”
Speaking emotionally about the incident and alleging police inaction, the mother of the deceased said: “I was not at home; I was on duty. Someone called me and told me that my son had been stabbed. When I came, I saw my son’s face. After that, I could not see his face again for half a day. I want justice.”
She claimed that the police are not doing anything, they are sleeping. “If the police had acted in time, couldn’t they have arrested the person who stabbed my son at 1 p.m.? Couldn’t they have arrested him?” she said.
The deceased’s aunt recounted what she saw after arriving at the hospital, and claimed that she saw the accused in the hospital. She added: “On the day of Bakra Eid, my child was summoned from home by deception, then asked how goats are slaughtered… Our children have never seen blood. What will they say? They will say they have never seen it before. Then he was stabbed in the stomach, and his life ended there.”
FIR filed
The police said that the suspect and his friends are currently on the run, adding that the suspect is between 17 and 18 years old. They said his age would be confirmed once he was arrested.
We will take appropriate action if others are found to be involved during the investigation. The ACP added: We have formed several teams to track down the suspect.
Police said that based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s elder brother, an FIR under Sections 109 (1) (attempt to murder) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to cause breach of peace) was registered against the suspect at Khoda police station late on Thursday evening.
“My brother died during treatment at the hospital on Friday morning. He had recently completed his Class 10 exams. He did not have any enmity with the suspect. We have lodged a complaint with the police and an FIR has been registered. We demand strict action against the suspect,” the brother told HT.
One of the victim’s friends, who witnessed the incident, said: “We were walking in the street on the occasion of Eid. There, the suspect, who was with 4-5 friends, called our friend (the victim) and said a few words to him. He quickly took out a knife and stabbed my friend in the stomach. Before we could react, they all ran away,” the friend said at the hospital.
