18-year-old boy murdered by friends over girl, body burnt

LUCKNOW: In a brutal incident, an 18-year-old boy was murdered by his friends and later his body was set on fire to conceal the crime here on the city’s outskirts.

The victim identified as Wamiq Siddiqui, was missing from his Ashiana residence for the past one week. His close friend and two common friends have been arrested for killing him over a case of love affair on September 10.

The deceased’s skeleton and his belongings were recovered from the bushes alongside Sewai railway crossing near Kalindi Park in PGI police area on Thursday morning. Additional superintendent of police (ASP), East, Rajiv Malhotra said the three accused have been arrested and the police have recovered an iron rod and the car used in the crime. He said the deceased’s mobile phone and his other belongings like charred clothes and slippers were also recovered from the spot and have been sent for forensic examination.

Wamiq Siddiqui, had gone missing since he left his house in Ruchi Khand, Ashiana for the English speaking coaching institute at Telibagh crossing at around 7.30am on September 10. Siddiqui, who had passed his class 12 from LPS Gomti Nagar last year, was an aspiring pilot.

The deceased’s father had lodged an FIR regarding his son’s abduction with Ashiana police station on September 11 and police was probing the matter since then.

Station officer (SO) of Ashiana police station, Santosh Tiwari said the first suspect was the deceased’s close friend Rahul Kumar, who stays near his house, but he misled the family and the police.

“The case was cracked when Rahul was quizzed rigorously after it was found that his and the deceased’s mobile phone location was same on the day of incident,” he said.

Tiwari said Rahul and Wamiq had developed liking for the same girl staying near their house. He said although they were earlier close friends, this issue led to differences between them.

“Rahul accompanied by his two friends Aditya and Sujeet, picked Wamiq in his car from outside his coaching at around 11am and took him towards Vrindavan colony. Wamiq entered into verbal duel with the trio during which Aditya hit him with an iron rod causing him head injury,” said Tiwari narrating the entire sequence of event.

Tiwari said the three accused got frightened as Wamiq fainted. They kept roaming in the car for over four hours. Tiwari added, Wamiq succumbed to his injuries and the accused then disposed off the body in the bushes and returned to their homes.

“On September 11, Rahul and Aditya again went to the spot and burnt the body using petrol,” said the SO. He added that the accused are unemployed school dropouts.

POLICE SAID RAHUL AND WAMIQ HAD DEVELOPED LIKING FOR THE SAME GIRL STAYING NEAR THEIR HOUSE.