Kidnapped boy found dead in Chandigarh, probe ordered

CHANDIGARH - The Chandigarh administration Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry to probe allegations of police laxity after violent protests rocked Burail village here following the recovery of the body of a five-year-old boy who was kidnapped Dec 21.

Khushpreet Singh was kidnapped from Burail village here. His corpse was found dumped in neighbouring Mohali town Wednesday.

Following this, widespread violence rocked Burail village, adjoining sector 45 here Wednesday.

There have been reports of lapses committed by police officers in handling the case. There have been allegations that the police did not handle this sensitive case properly which has shocked the conscience of the city, official spokesperson of the Chandigarh administration said here Thursday.

Therefore, a magisterial probe has been ordered. M.L. Sharma, a Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officer, has been appointed as the inquiry officer. He will submit his report within 10 days, he added.

Locals continued violent protests in the area Thursday.

Several people, mainly youth from Burail village, continued to protest and hurl stones and bricks at the large posse of police there.

They blamed the police for inaction in handling the kidnapping case.

Police used water cannons and a mild cane charge to keep the protestors at bay from the Sector 45 police post.

We are trying our best to control the situation. Most of the protestors are teenagers and they are provoked by anti-social elements, said a police officer who was present at the spot Thursday.

The police fired tear-gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the rampaging protestors Wednesday evening.

Violence erupted after Khushpreet Singh’s body was found dumped at an isolated spot five km from his house.

The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of Rs.10 lakh from the boy’s family but later took Rs.4 lakh.

The Chandigarh police let the kidnappers slip away when they came to collect the ransom amount.

In the meantime, Chadigarh’s district magistrate Thursday issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code.

District magistrate has prohibited taking out processions, making speeches, raising slogans, assembly of five or more persons and carrying of batons or sticks within the Sector-45 area for a period of two days, the spokesperson said.

Chandigarh’s newly-elected mayor Ravinder Pal Singh also met Kushpreet’s father Lakhbir Singh and offered his condolences.

The boy’s family Thursday refused to take the body from the hospital after the post-mortem, saying that they wanted strict action against the police officers who messed up the case.