A 17-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed to death by his friend in Khoda Colony, Ghaziabad, following an argument on Thursday evening. The teenager, identified as Surya Pratap, succumbed to his injuries on Friday afternoon at a hospital. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said.
Police Response and Arrests
According to police, a call was received at around 3:30 pm on Thursday about a stabbing incident within the jurisdiction of Khoda police station. The police team promptly arrived at the scene and rushed the victim to a hospital. Despite medical efforts, Surya Pratap died at around 12:00 noon on Friday. Based on a complaint from the victim's family, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the law, and multiple teams were formed to apprehend the accused. The Khoda police team has since arrested three named accused individuals. Additionally, two other suspects have been taken into custody for questioning.
Sequence of Events
Police and family accounts indicate that the chain of events began on Thursday afternoon when Surya Pratap, a Class XI student, was called by a youth named Asad, who was known to him from the neighborhood. Surya's friend Vicky told police that Asad had invited them under the pretext of showing something related to Bakrid rituals. Vicky stated, "Asad told Surya, 'Have you ever seen a goat being slaughtered?' To which Surya replied, 'No.' Asad said, 'Come, we will show you.'" Surya refused and began to leave, at which point the accused started abusing and hurling expletives at him.
Surya's brother Yash revealed that there was a prior history of conflict between the victim and the accused. "My brother and his friends Ayush and Vicky were together when they encountered Asad in the lane. He began quarrelling with my brother and hurled abuses," Yash said. A senior police officer confirmed an old dispute: "Eight months ago, a scuffle broke out between Surya and Asad, and both had physically fought. However, a few days ago, they had become friends and were back on talking terms."
Mother's Allegations
The victim's mother alleged that her son was lured before being attacked. "On Eid, a boy named Arshad tricked my child into calling him. He was asked if he had ever seen a goat being slaughtered, to which he replied no. Then my child was stabbed. I want justice," she told ANI on Friday. Speaking emotionally, she added, "I was not at home; I was on duty. Someone called me and told me that my son had been stabbed. When I came, I saw my son's face at around 7 o'clock. After that, I did not get to see his face again for half a day. I want justice. The police are not doing anything; they are sleeping. If the police had acted in time, wouldn't they have been able to catch the person who stabbed my son at 1 o'clock?"
The deceased's maternal aunt, Sunita, recounted what she saw at the hospital: "I went to the hospital first. I saw them there. They wanted to prove that first a goat was sacrificed and now, they would sacrifice a human. On the day of Bakra Eid, my child was called from home by deceit. Then he was asked how a goat is slaughtered. What do Hindu children know about such things? Our children have never seen bloodshed. What would they say? They would say they had never seen it. Then he was stabbed in the stomach, and his life ended there."
The Stabbing
The confrontation escalated quickly into violence, with multiple witnesses alleging that Surya was attacked with a knife. Yash said, "Asad stabbed my brother four times in the abdomen with intent to kill. After getting information, we immediately reached and took him to a nearby private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday." Ayush, another friend present at the scene, corroborated the account: "When I objected to the abuses, the accused stabbed Surya multiple times in the stomach with a knife and later escaped."
Police are continuing their investigation, and further details are awaited.
