Family members, including women, of a 16-year-old boy who was assaulted around two months ago and succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday staged a protest under the flyover on NH-44 in front of the Mini Secretariat in Panipat on Wednesday. They placed the deceased’s body on the highway, demanding the arrest of all accused involved in the murder.
Following information about the protest, a heavy police force was deployed at the site to control the situation. Meanwhile, Rajbir Singh, DSP City, reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesting family members.
The deceased was identified as Shekhar, son of Rameshwar, a resident of Badoli village in the district. He was a Class IX student at a local school. According to the police, the incident occurred on April 22 in Badoli village.
As per the available information, Rameshwar used to park his auto-rickshaw in the street outside his house. However, his elder brother, Krishan Lal, objected to this and asked him to remove the vehicle.
An argument ensued between them on April 22. Rameshwar alleged that later, while he and his son Shekhar were returning home, his brother Krishan Lal and family members Ajay, Vijay, Bimla and Lokesha stopped them. Krishan Lal allegedly started abusing them.
He further alleged that the accused assaulted Shekhar on the head with an interlocking tile and also attacked him with lathis.
Shekhar sustained a serious head injury and was admitted to PGIMS, Rohtak. He remained under treatment there but succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday evening.
Shekhar was the only son in the family and had been on a ventilator for the past two months due to the severe head injury.
The family members reached Panipat after receiving the body following the post-mortem examination on Wednesday. They placed the body on NH-44 near the Mini Secretariat and began a protest.
Women members of the family sat around Shekhar’s body and raised slogans.
The protesters alleged that the police had arrested only two accused so far, even though five people were involved in the case.
The family members also met SP Bhupender Singh and demanded the immediate arrest of the remaining accused. Following assurances from the SP, they ended their protest. However, after a two-hour demonstration, and while taking the body back to their village, they again staged a protest near the CIA police station close to the Toll Plaza.
SP Bhupender Singh said that a case of attempt to murder had initially been registered and that two accused had already been arrested. Two more accused were arrested on Wednesday.
He added that murder charges would now be added to the case and that the investigation had been handed over to the CIA-1 team.
The family members alleged that the investigating officer (IO) had misbehaved with them. The officer has since been sent to the police lines, the SP said.
A probe into the matter is under way, SP Bhupender Singh maintained.
