BATHINDA: The Muktsar district police have arrested a man who allegedly pushed his cousin into the
Sirhind feeder canal after failing to extract money from his relatives. Identified as
Sikandar Singh (26), the accused is learnt to have taken away his minor cousin Surinder Singh (15) and later called his parents asking for a ransom of Rs 4 lakh.
Surinder is feared to have drowned in the canal but the body could not be traced. Both Sikandar and family of Surinder are labourers. Police have registered case under charges of abduction or kidnapping in order to murder.
Resident of
Karaiwala village in Muktsar, Buta Singh on Sunday approached the police with a complaint that his son Surinder Singh, a class IX student in the government senior secondary school, had not returned home.
Villagers allege that the police did not take the complaint seriously but they got to know from villagers that Surinder was last seen with his elder cousin Sikandar. Sikandar too was not available at his place. In the meanwhile, Surinder's family got a call for ransom of Rs 4 lakh from Surinder's phone. The police then got into action and after registering an abduction case, started investigations.
The police on Tuesday succeeded in arresting Sikandar who confessed that he had made a call for ransom to his relatives and that he had pushed the boy into the Sirhind feeder canal. Buta said, "We are poor people and could not even think that our own relative will demand money by proxy and will push our boy into canal. We are worried for the boy".
When contacted, Muktsar SSP
Sushil Kumar said the police have arrested Sikandar who confessed to have pushed the boy into the canal after failing to get any ransom. The police are trying to trace the boy or his body from the canal. A case under section 364 (kidnapping or kidnapping in order to murder) has been registered against Sikandar.
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