Practice partner stabs athlete to death Faridabad road, held

GURUGRAM: A young athlete was stabbed to death on a Faridabad road earlier this week, triggering a manhunt for the killers that led police on Friday to the victim's 19-year-old practice partner.
Police said Ajay is the prime accused in the murder of Priyanshu Kumar on August 30. Ajay's brother Deepak (25) and a friend Abhishek (19) were also arrested. Ajay and 16-year-old Priyanshu, both track athletes, practised together at a sports complex in Faridabad.
Priyanshu was returning to Sanjay Nagar, where he lived, from the sports complex in Faridabad's Sector 12 on his bicycle on August 30 when Ajay rammed his cycle into him. Police said when Priyanshu fell to the ground, Ajay allegedly stabbed him repeatedly with a knife and fled. After 20 minutes, Priyanshu was spotted by a passerby, who informed police. He was taken to hospital but had bled to death by then.
Police said Ajay was envious of his talent and success. "Ajay and Priyanshu practised together for hurdle races. Priyanshu was good in hurdle races and was always ahead of Ajay, which became a cause of animosity. Ajay started to consider Priyanshu as an obstacle to his success. They had an argument," said inspector Rajiv Kumar.
On August 29, Priyanshu was practising for a hurdle race when Ajay allegedly took away five of the hurdles and put them on another track where he was running. This led to the argument. The same day, Ajay allegedly hatched a plan to attack Priyanshu. Abhishek helped him procure a knife.
"On August 30, he hid the knife in his clothes and followed Priyanshu. He killed the 16-year-old at a secluded place near Silver City Mall in Sector 12. Ajay became nervous after the crime and fled, leaving his cycle behind," Kumar said. When he reached home, his brother Deepak helped him hide the knife, cops said.
An FIR was filed under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and sections of the Arms Act the same day. The trio has been sent to judicial custody.
Priyanshu's father Jitender said his son had a bright future in athletics. Priyanshu had won many medals at the state level.