Ghaziabad teen stabbed to death: How a 'Bakrid invite' led to tragedy; 3 arrested

GHAZIABAD: A 17-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed by his friend in Khoda Colony following an argument on Thursday evening. The teenager, Surya Pratap, died of his injuries on Friday afternoon at a hospital. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case. According to police, “On Thursday, at around 03.30 pm, information was received about an incident in which a teenager was stabbed within the jurisdiction of Khoda police station. “The Khoda police team immediately reached the spot and admitted him to hospital. During treatment, the teenager died on Friday at around 12:00 noon. “In the said case, based on the complaint received from family members, an FIR was registered under relevant sections, and teams were formed for the arrest of the accused. Today, the Khoda police team has arrested three named accused persons in the case. In addition, two other suspects have also been taken into custody,” the police said. Police and family accounts suggest the chain of events began on Thursday afternoon when Surya Pratap, a Class XI student, was called by Asad, a youth known to him from the neighbourhood. Vicky, a friend of Surya, told police the accused had invited them under the pretext of showing something related to Bakrid rituals. He said a “youth of another religion (minority)” living nearby had called and invited them to his place on Bakrid. Surya, Vicky and Ayush arrived outside the accused’s house, where the conversation turned provocative. Vicky told police: “Asad told Surya, ‘Tumne kabhi bakra halal hote dekha hai?’ To which Surya replied, ‘Nahi’. Asad said, ‘Aao dikhate hain (Have you ever seen a goat being killed? Come, we will show you).’” At this, Surya refused and started to leave, following which the accused began abusing and hurling expletives, Vicky told police. According to Surya’s brother Yash, the accused had a prior history of conflict with the victim, though they had recently resumed contact. Yash said, “My brother and his friends Ayush and Vicky were together at the time. Meanwhile, they encountered Asad in the lane. He began quarrelling with my brother and hurled abuses.” A senior police officer also confirmed there was an old dispute. “Eight months ago, a scuffle broke out between Surya and Asad. At that time, both had physically fought as well. But a few days ago, both had become friends and were back on talking terms.”The victim's mother alleged that her son was lured before being attacked."On Eid, a boy named Arshad tricked my child into calling him. He was asked if he had ever seen a goat being slaughtered, to which he replied no. Then my child was stabbed. I want justice...," the deceased mother told ANI on Friday."Speaking emotionally about the incident and alleging police inaction, the deceased's mother said, "I was not at home; I was on duty. Someone called me and told me that my son had been stabbed. When I came, I saw my son's face at around 7 o'clock.""After that, I did not get to see his face again for half a day. I want justice. The police are not doing anything; they are sleeping. If the police had acted in time, wouldn't they have been able to catch the person who stabbed my son at 1 o'clock? Wouldn't they have been able to catch him?," she added further.Recounting what she saw after reaching the hospital, Sunita, the deceased's maternal aunt, said, "I went to the hospital first. I saw them there. They wanted to prove that first a goat was sacrificed and now, they would sacrifice a human. "On the day of Bakra Eid, my child was called from home by deceit. Then he was asked how a goat is slaughtered. What do Hindu children know about such things? Our children have never seen bloodshed. What would they say? They would say they had never seen it. Then he was stabbed in the stomach, and his life ended there." The confrontation escalated quickly into violence, with multiple witnesses alleging that Surya was attacked with a knife. Yash said, “Asad stabbed my brother four times in the abdomen with intent to kill. After getting information, we immediately reached and took him to a nearby private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.” Ayush, another friend present at the scene, corroborated the account and said, “When I objected to the abuses, the accused stabbed Surya multiple times in the stomach with a knife and later escaped.”