Young cricketer drowns, parents allege murder

Aman Sood 

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 23

The body of a 16-year-old budding cricketer, Abhishek, was recovered from the Bhakra canal today. A Class XI student, he had represented Punjab at the National School Games this February. 

Accusing his son's classmates of pushing him into the canal, The deceased's father, Rajinder Kumar, said they must be booked for murder and not under Section 304-A (death by negligence).

Heaid his son left home with his classmate on August 19. “When he did not return by 10 pm, we approached the police and filed a 'missing person' complaint.

“The following day, we were told that Abhishek had been seen with some students from his school. The boys confessed before a panchayat that one of them had pushed Abhishek into the canal. The police initially assured us that they would register a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Later, the SHO concerned said the case would be registered at Passiana,” Rajinder Kumar said.  

Samana DSP Rajesh Chibber said the matter would be probed. “If new evidence emerges, the relevant Sections will be included in the FIR,” he said. Patiala SSP Gurmeet Chauhan said initial probe suggested that the students jumped into the canal together but Abhishek could not swim and was carried away by the water current.”