Boy flees with father’s gun, killed by friend

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 20

A 15-year-old boy of Mandi Kalan village, who fled with his father’s weapon, two cartridges and cash on February 15 from his house, has been allegedly murdered by his friend.

A fugitive Army soldier, after allegedly killing him, threw the body into a canal. The accused has been arrested by the Balianwali police.

As per information, deceased Gurpreet Singh (15), son of Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Mandi Kalan village, was a student of Class X in Modern Secular Public School at Rampura Phul. Accused Manpreet Singh alias Mani (23), is a resident of Phul town.

Three months ago, Manpreet had come on holiday from the Army to attend some wedding, but he did not return on duty, due to which the Army declared him fugitive.

Police officials claimed that Manpreet had planned the crime. He was in touch with Gurpreet. To strengthen his bonding with Gurpreet, he would spend much time with him.

On February 15, there was a farewell party at the school, which lasted till 4 pm. Later, Gurpreet kept roaming with Manpreet in the latter’s car.

Before going home, Manpreet told Gurpreet that at night he should meet him with his father’s rifle, bullets and Rs 50,000 cash.

Around 11 pm, Gurpreet stole the rifle, two bullets and Rs 700 cash from his house. Manpreet was standing outside his house and picked Gurpreet and took him two km away from Phul town on the Phul-Salbrah road near the canal, where Manpreet killed Gurpreet by opening fire at him. Later, he threw his body in the canal.

Inspector Sandeep Singh said a police team, during the probe, checked call details of the mobile phone of Gurpreet when it surfaced that many calls were made between Gurpreet and Manpreet.

On suspicion, they called Manpreet to the police station and started interrogating him. The accused confessed to the crime and narrated the entire incident. The rifle is yet to be recovered from the possession of Manpreet.

The body of the deceased is yet to be recovered. Teams have been searching the canal. He was the only the son of his parents and had one elder sister.