2 juveniles among 4 held in Kichha teen murder case

RUDRAPUR: The Udham Singh Nagar police have apprehended four people, including two juveniles, in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old son of an autorickshaw driver, who was allegedly killed over a social media feud in Kichha on June 25.

Two adult accused have been arrested, while the juveniles have been taken into protective custody. “With the latest arrests of Deepak, a resident of Khamaria Road in Lalpur, and Vijay Pratap, a resident of Rameshwarpur, four persons have now been apprehended in the murder case, including two juveniles who have been taken into protective custody. Another accused, Bunty Thakur, is currently undergoing medical treatment,” Udham Singh Nagar SSP Ajay Ganpati said. According to the SSP, the incident took place on the evening of June 25 after police received a dial-112 call reporting that the teenager had been shot on Mehraya Road in Lalpur under the Kichha police station limits. The victim, Vikrant Baagi, was initially taken to a local hospital before being referred to another hospital in Haldwani, where he succumbed to his injuries. “Following the victim’s death, relevant provisions of the BNS relating to murder and other offences were invoked.

Special police teams were constituted under the supervision of senior officers to ensure the swift apprehension of all those involved,” SSP Ganpati said. Police had earlier arrested Varun Kumar (21) and Sushil Singh (24), who were subsequently remanded to judicial custody. Deepak and Vijay Pratap were arrested on the night of June 27. “The criminal antecedents of all the accused are being verified and further investigation is underway. The arrested accused are being produced before the competent court in accordance with law,” the SSP further said.