Gurdaspur teen girl allegedly hires men to assault boyfriend; 19-year-old dies in hospital
A 19-year-old man, Tejinder Singh, died after a brutal assault in Gurdaspur. A 16-year-old girl has been detained and an SIT is probing the case
Gurdaspur crime: A 19-year-old youth from Gurdaspur, Punjab, has died in hospital after allegedly being brutally assaulted by a group of youths. The police are investigating the incident as a planned attack linked to a relationship dispute.
The deceased has been identified as Tejinder Singh, the only son of Kuldeep Singh of Khokhra village in Gurdaspur district. He was attacked on September 18 and died while on ventilator support on September 29, according to his family.
The police have detained a 16-year-old girl in connection with the case. A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assault and death.
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According to Tejinder's family, he had been in a relationship with the girl for around three years. The two reportedly came into contact while studying at the same school and grew closer over time.
His mother Narinder said the family had initially opposed the relationship and had advised her son to stay away from the girl. The family claims that around three months before the incident, Tejinder came to know that the girl was also allegedly in contact with other youths. Following this, he decided to end the relationship and began keeping his distance from her.
According to his family, the girl was unhappy with his decision to end the relationship.
Dispute reportedly escalated before fatal assault
Family members said the two had several arguments after Tejinder attempted to distance himself from the girl. They alleged that she followed him to Mukerian, where the two reportedly had a heated argument at a restaurant and later at a hotel.
The family further alleged that during one such confrontation, the girl's mobile phone-related dispute resulted in Tejinder's phone being damaged. Another argument allegedly took place when the two met in Gurdaspur's Chakk Sharif market to return gifts.
Tejinder's sister told mediapersons that she received a message from the girl through a friend's phone on September 16, two days before the attack. According to Tanveer, the message said Tejinder no longer wanted to continue the relationship because his family did not approve of it.
Tanveer said she replied that the girl should also stay away from her brother since he had already moved on.
Family alleges nine youths were involved
According to Tejinder's sister, the girl allegedly called him to meet her at Bhusa village on September 18. The family claims that several youths were present at the location when Tejinder arrived and that they attacked him.
The family alleges that as many as nine young men were involved in the assault. Tejinder reportedly suffered severe head injuries and was subsequently taken for medical treatment.
Villagers later informed the family about his condition, according to relatives.
Girl allegedly told police she paid for assault, not murder
The police detained the minor on September 23 in connection with the case. According to Tejinder's family, the girl told the police during questioning that she had paid the youths to break his hands and legs, but had not instructed them to kill him or strike him on the head.
The family also alleged that after the attack, the girl called Tejinder's uncle and asked about his condition before ending the call after identifying herself.
Family demands arrests of all accused
Tejinder's relatives have demanded the arrest of all those allegedly involved in the attack. They have also said that they will not perform his last rites until the girl and the other accused are arrested and action is taken against them.
Three-member SIT formed
Gurdaspur SP Manoj Thakur said Tejinder's father, Kuldeep Singh, submitted a complaint on September 20, following which an FIR was registered the same day.
The SP said the family had expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation being conducted by Kahnuwan police. Taking the seriousness of the matter into account, a three-member SIT was subsequently constituted on the directions of the SSP.
The minor accused has been taken into police custody for questioning, the SP said. Investigators are examining the evidence and the alleged involvement of the other accused.
The police said further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.