Alleging police inaction, family stages protest, blocks highway

People staging protest at Satwari Chowk in Jammu on Monday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
People staging protest at Satwari Chowk in Jammu on Monday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Murder of minor boy

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 25: Family members, relatives and neighbours of a 14-year-old boy, who was found murdered yesterday in Chatha area of Jammu City, blocked the Satwari Chowk today, protesting police inaction and seeking strict punishment for the culprits.
The dead body of the minor boy namely Ritik Kumar son of Pawan Kumar, resident of Shivali Mohalla (Chatha), who was missing since May 20, was recovered last evening from a vacant plot near Charak Enclave in Chatha area of Jammu.
Today, when the body of the deceased was handed over to his family members after conducting postmortem at GMC Jammu, they took the body straight to Satwari Chowk where they staged protest demonstration by keeping the body on the road. The relatives and neighbours of the family also joined the protest.
Accusing the police for the murder of the boy, the protesting family members said if the police had acted in time, Ritik’s life could have been saved. They alleged that inaction on the part of the police led to murder of the boy. Holding a specific family responsible for the murder, the family members demanded the police to book the entire family and put them behind bars.
On getting information of the protest, the senior officers of the police rushed to the spot. They assured the victim’s family that a fair probe will be conducted into the matter and no accused will be spared. Thereafter, the protest was suspended and blockade was lifted.
When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu Shridhar Patil said that the police have taken three suspects into custody in connection with the case and they are being interrogated. He said the investigation is underway and everything will be cleared within a day.
Regarding accusations by the victim’s family, the SSP said their every point has been noted. “Every accusation will be looked into and if there is any laxity on part of any official, strict action will be taken,” the officer asserted.