Teen killed, cops sniff family feud

Chinsurah, 31 Aug: A Class VI boy was kidnapped outside his school in yesterday and found murdered near a highway 50km away this morning in an apparent fallout of a family feud.

The body of 13-year-old Manik Roy was found by villagers in a cluster of banana trees beside National Highway-34 at Gadamara in the Amdanga area of neighbouring North 24-Parganas.

The boy’s maternal uncle, Rabin Porel, identified the body. Manik’s father Hiralal, 45, who owns a in Nepal’s Dharan, came home this afternoon.

Hiralal’s nephew Hanumanlal Soni, in his early twenties, and three of his friends have been detained and are being questioned after Manik’s mother Lakshmi told police she suspected the relative. An officer who spoke to her said Soni had allegedly cheated Hiralal in his business, leading to rancour between the two.

“We believe someone within our family is responsible,” said Lakshmi, who also has two daughters, Tumpa, 11, and Uma, 2.

The family said they got no ransom calls, deepening suspicion that it was an inside job. P. Barui, the Serampore sub-divisional police officer who also oversees Rishra, said the probe so far pointed to a family feud. “We have got more clues and are looking for another person.”

Another officer said after questioning the rickshaw operator who took Manik to school that two youths were waiting outside the gate after the classes gave over at 4pm yesterday.

“One of the youths told Manik that his mother was ill and had been taken to Kolkata for treatment. Then, the youth called a number from his mobile and gave the phone to the boy. Manik spoke to someone he knew and told the rickshaw operator he was going with the youths to see his mother,” said the officer.


The Telegraph