Gambling addict kills cousin in Amritsar, arrested

A 20-year-old youth allegedly killed his 21-year old cousin with sharp-edged weapon in the Rajesh Nagar locality in Mohkapura area here late Tuesday night.

The accused, identified as Sanjeev alias Sanju, a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student, has been arrested.

The victim, Nisha Bharti was also a BCA student.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Jasroop Kaur Bath, Sanjeev was addicted to online gambling. On the night of the incident, he reportedly attempted to steal valuables from Nisha’s room. When she caught him in the act, he stabbed her in the neck to prevent being exposed. The attack led to Nisha’s death.

Both the victim and the accused were pursuing BCA at different institutes and often studied together. Nisha was preparing for her final exam, scheduled for Wednesday.

The victim’s mother, Babita Devi, who is also the complainant, told police that Sanjeev and his family lived on the ground floor of their house. On Tuesday evening, her husband had left for work at a local factory, leaving her and Nisha alone at home. Sanjeev came to study with Nisha around 10pm but left shortly after a power outage. At around 1.30 am, Babita said she heard her daughter’s cries and rushed to her room, where she found her lying in a pool of blood. Nisha had succumbed to her injuries.

Following the incident, Assistant Commissioner of Police (East) Dr Sheetal Singh and the local Station House Officer (SHO) arrived at the scene and began an investigation. Sanjeev was soon apprehended and confessed to the crime.

ADCP Jasroop Kaur said the preliminary probe revealed that Sanjeev had earlier lost Rs 6 lakh in online gambling. He had also sold his motorcycle and mobile phone to cover his gambling losses.