LUCKNOW: Tension prevailed in Lokpriya Vihar locality in Ghaziabad on Saturday, after a 17-year-old Surya Chauhan was stabbed to death, following a verbal spat under the Khoda police station limit on Bakrid (Thursday).
Surya is believed to have been stabbed to death by another teenager, identified as Asad.
Asad and his friends have been absconding since the day of the incident.
The victim's family demanded the encounter of the suspect and his accomplices. They also refused to proceed with the last rites of the victim.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Indirapuram) Abhishek Srivastava elaborated on the sequence of the incident. He said, "The stabbing incident occurred around 3.30 pm on Thursday. It appears that the suspect, called Surya, and a verbal argument ensued. Soon, the suspect pulled out a knife, stabbed Surya, and fled with his friends."
"Surya's friends called his family members to the spot. They rushed him to a hospital in Noida, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday," said the police officer.
Officials also informed that the victim was with two of his friends at the time of the incident.
Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s elder brother, Yash Chauhan, an FIR under Sections 109(1) (attempt to murder) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) has been registered against the suspect at Khoda police station, late Thursday evening.
“My brother died during treatment at the hospital on Friday morning. He recently cleared his Class 10 examinations. He had no enmity with the suspect. We have filed a police complaint, and an FIR has been registered. We demand strict action against the suspect,” said the victim’s brother.
The victim’s friend, who witnessed the incident, said: “We were walking down the street on the occasion of Eid. Asad, with over four of his accomplices, called Surya and said something. Soon, the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed Suraj in the abdomen. Surya tried to run over 200 metres with the injuries. However, the perpetrators chased and stabbed him repeatedly. Before we could react, they all fled.”
The incident led to protests by the people belonging to the victims' community in the area on Friday.
The incident also took a political turn on Saturday, when the Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati took to X, expressing concern over the murder of Surya Chauhan. She sought strict action against the alleged culprits.
“Surya Chauhan's murder in Khoda locality of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful and also a cause of concern. The administration needs to take steps to put a leash on such incidents. Moreover, the culprits involved in such incidents should be identified and punished in legal recourse,” she posted.
Reacting to the incident, UP Deputy CM Keshav Maurya assured that the strictest action would be taken against the perpetrator of the crime.
“The murderers, who so ever, will not be spared. He will be put on trial to ensure that he gets the death sentence. The government is serious about law and order. Those who commit such a crime would face strict action,” said Maurya while talking to media persons.
With the arrival of the victim’s body following post-mortem examination on Saturday afternoon, a massive crowd gathered at the residence of the deceased.
The family of the victim demanded the encounter of the perpetrator. Surya’s mother, Saroj Chauhan, demanded the police encounter of all the accused.
“I will not allow the last rites of my son to be performed until the police authorities take action against the murderers. I will not take the body to the cremation ground,” she asserted.
Amid demand for decisive action against the culprits by the right-wing organisations, a heavy contingent of police force is deployed in the locality.
Senior police officials, including DCP Trans-Hindon Dhawal Jaiswal, ACP Sahibabad Amit Saxena and ACP Indirapuram Abhishek Srivastava, remained present in the place.