A 18-year-old boy was shot ten times and murdered on 22 March in Madina village, Sonepat district, by four assailants who also murdered his brother five months ago, reported Hindustan Times.
The boy, Rajesh, was sitting with a friend, 16-year-old Sawan, in the playground of Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, waiting for his sister to complete her Class 10 examination. His friend was also shot at on his stomach and rushed to a hospital where police said he is stable.
Villagers, who were present, identified two of the four in the car as Seeta and Pawan of Madina village. The police said both were booked in October 2017 for allegedly murdering Rajesh’s elder brother Rakesh over an old rivalry.
Rajesh was a witness in his elder brother’s murder case. We had arrested eight out of 11 accused. But Seeta and Pawan were absconding.Inspector Veer Bhan of the Barauda police station told Hindustan Times.
Rajesh’s family was very angry with the police. They took his body and blocked the Rohtak-Panipat national highway on the evening of 22 March. Rajesh’s father, Jai Singh, told Hindustan Times, “After my elder son was killed, we had informed police several times about Seeta and Pawan. But they took no action. Now, they have killed my younger son too.”
As family members refused to let their anger die down, the police resorted to force to clear the highway. The police also booked Rajesh’s father and 25 other villagers who were a part of the protest on charges of blocking the highway. According to Hindustan Times, they also booked them on charges of attempt to murder. The police claimed the family members and villagers tried to attack cops with intention to kill them during their protest.
Fourteen people, including the Rajesh’s father and close family members, were arrested. They were released on bail a day later on 23 March after they agreed to cremate his body.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)