A 16-year-old boy who had been battling for life for nearly two months after being assaulted died on Tuesday night, prompting his family to stage a protest by placing his body on National Highway 44 outside the Mini Secretariat in Panipat on Wednesday. The family demanded the immediate arrest of all individuals involved in the attack.
Victim and Incident Details
The deceased, identified as Shekhar, was a Class IX student and the son of Rameshwar, a resident of Badoli village. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at PGIMS, Rohtak, where he had been on ventilator support since sustaining a severe head injury during the April 22 attack.
According to police, the assault stemmed from a dispute over parking an auto-rickshaw outside Rameshwar's house. Rameshwar alleged that his elder brother, Krishan Lal, objected to the parking, leading to an argument on April 22. Later that day, while Rameshwar and Shekhar were returning home, Krishan Lal, along with family members Ajay, Vijay, Bimla, and Lokesha, intercepted them.
"He started abusing us. The accused hit my son on the head with an interlocking tile and assaulted me with lathis," Rameshwar alleged.
Protest and Police Response
The protest, which involved several women family members, led to a heavy police deployment at the site. DSP (City) Rajbir Singh arrived and attempted to pacify the demonstrators. The protesters alleged that although five people were involved in the assault, only two had been arrested initially. They met with SP Bhupender Singh and demanded the arrest of the remaining accused.
Following assurances from the SP, the family initially ended the nearly two-hour protest and began taking the body toward their village. However, they later resumed their protest near the CIA police station close to the toll plaza.
Legal Action and Investigation
SP Bhupender Singh stated, "Earlier, a case of attempt to murder was registered and two accused involved in the matter have been arrested earlier and two more arrested today. Now, the murder sections would be introduced in the case and the case has been handed over to the CIA-1 team."
The SP also addressed allegations of misconduct by the investigating officer. "The family members alleged that the investigation officer (IO) misbehaved with them, and he has been sent to the police lines. A probe into the matter is underway," Bhupender Singh said.
The family's continued protest underscores their demand for justice and the arrest of all accused in the fatal assault case.
