22-year-old beaten to death in Amritsar, CCTV shows body hauled away on scooty

A 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death in Punjab’s Amritsar, with CCTV footage of the incident surfacing online and triggering fear among local residents. The killing took place late night on May 14, in a residential area of the city, where residents alleged that a violent clash involving dozens of youngsters created an atmosphere of fear.

The deceased, identified as Kunal, was the only son of his family and worked at a salon. CCTV visuals purportedly show several young men assaulting and dragging him on the street on a scooty before fleeing the scene.

According to his father, Pawan Kumar, Kunal had left home around 9.30 pm to buy momos from a nearby shop. The family last spoke to him around 10.30 pm, when he reportedly said he would return within five to seven minutes. However, he never came back home.

The family searched for him through the night and alerted the police after failing to trace him. The next morning, police contacted them regarding an unidentified body recovered from the area. Upon reaching the spot, the family identified the deceased as Kunal.

Pawan Kumar said the family was still unaware of the exact reason behind the murder.

However, police sources said preliminary investigation suggested tensions had been brewing for several days between Kunal and another group over a dispute allegedly linked to a photoshoot and social media activity. Locals claimed a large crowd had gathered in the area shortly before the argument escalated into a deadly attack.

Local councillor and Congress district president Mitthu Maidan criticised the law-and-order situation, alleging that around 25 to 30 people created panic in the locality during the night. He claimed houses and vehicles were vandalised and women were also harassed during the violence.

“People are so frightened that stepping out after 8 pm has become difficult,” he said, demanding strict action against those responsible.

Senior police officer Harpal Singh said police received information around 1 am about a clash in the area in which one person had died.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s father, police have registered a case against Vansh Kumar and several others. Officials said CCTV footage was being examined to identify all those involved, and raids were underway to arrest the accused.

- Ends