Two days after a teenager’s body was recovered from the Sakki canal in Ajnala, the case has taken a dramatic turn, with the police now treating it as a murder after uncovering evidence suggesting that the 16-year-old was allegedly killed and his body dumped in the canal.
The deceased, identified as Amandeep Singh, a resident of Ajnala, was found dead in the Sakki canal on Saturday. Following statements from family members and findings from the initial investigation, the police have registered a murder case against the victim’s three friends — Honey, Harmanpreet Singh and Avtar Singh.
Kulwinder Singh, SHO, Ajnala police station, said raids were being conducted to arrest the accused. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem.
According to a complaint lodged by Mahinder Singh, a daily-wage labourer, he and his wife Meena had gone out on May 29, leaving their two sons, Amandeep and Kamaldeep, at home. When they returned in the evening, they discovered that Amandeep was missing.
As the teenager failed to return home late into the night, the family questioned his younger brother Kamaldeep, who told them that Amandeep had left with his friends Honey, Harmanpreet and Avtar.
The family searched for the boy throughout the night but could not locate him. On Saturday afternoon, villagers informed Mahinder Singh that his son’s body had been spotted in the Sakki canal. The family rushed to the scene and identified the body as Amandeep’s.
Police officials said the investigation and statements recorded during the probe indicated that the teenager had not drowned accidentally but was allegedly murdered before his body was thrown into the canal.
The grieving family has demanded strict action against the accused and justice for the victim. The police said further investigation is underway.
