Third accused nabbed in youth’s drug-related killing

The Fatehabad police have arrested the third accused in a murder case involving a drug overdose and physical assault of a youth in the Ratia region of the district. The accused has been remanded in judicial custody.

The police arrested Surjit Singh, son of Jagir Singh, a resident of Mirana village. Previously, two others—Sukhdarshan Singh alias Sukhcharan Singh alias Tidda, and Lakkha Singh, son of Major Singh, both residents of Pilchhia village, had also been arrested.

According to Rajbir Singh, SHO of Ratia Sadar Police Station, the case was registered on May 19 following a complaint lodged by Ramanpreet Kaur, wife of the deceased Hardeep Singh.

In her statement, Ramanpreet Kaur said that on May 18, Sukhdarshan Singh and Lakkha Singh took her husband Hardeep Singh to Mirana village. When he did not return by evening, the family began searching for him.

On the morning of May 19, a body was discovered near the abandoned canal banks in the village. She claimed that Surjit had recently threatened to kill Hardeep over a financial dispute between them. It is alleged that Surjit, in collusion with Sukhdarshan and Lakkha, lured Hardeep to Mirana, administered a drug overdose, assaulted him and killed him over personal enmity.