S Gopal Puri
Dharamshala:
The police in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district claim to have cracked the case of a gruesome mu*rder reported from Sudhed village, near Dharamshala, with the arrest of the victim’s minor son.
The juvenile was detained from near Gurdaspur in Punjab late Monday night and is being brought to Dharamshala for further questioning, Kangra Superintendent of Police Ashok Rattan confirmed.
The victim, 45-year-old Vineet Kumar, alias Sonu, was found dead in his home in Tarela village, under Shahpur Assembly constituency, on Monday afternoon. His body was lying in a pool of blood, with a gunshot wound and severe head injuries. A single-barrel gun was recovered from the crime scene.
According to SP Rattan, Vineet lived with his son and his brother’s family, while his wife had been living separately due to marital discord. On the day of the incident, the brother and sister-in-law were away for Raksha Bandhan, leaving Vineet and his son alone at home. When Vineet’s elder brother, a former deputy panchayat pradhan, returned, he found the body and alerted the police.
Initial investigations revealed that the son was missing from the house after the murder. His mobile phone was switched off and his motorcycle was also gone. Acting on leads, the police tracked him to Punjab and detained him.
SP Rattan said the motive behind the killing would be ascertained after interrogation. “We are connecting all dots in the case and examining every possible angle, including the possibility of the crime being linked to substance abuse,” he said.
The murder has sent shockwaves through the quiet rural locality, with residents expressing disbelief and fear.
