E-Paper
College student’s throat slit in HP’s Mandi; assailant caught by villagers
Motorcycle-borne accused carried out fatal attack around 9.30am when 19-year-old girl was walking to a bus stop in Sarkaghat sub division.
A 19-year-old college student was brutally murdered on Monday morning in the Sarkaghat sub-division of Himachal’s Mandi district.
The victim, identified as Siya Guleria, a resident of Nain village, was attacked while on her way to college. The incident took place around 9:30 am as the girl was walking toward the Gopalpur bus stop. According to reports, an assailant intercepted her and slit her throat with a sickle. The attacker also stabbed her multiple times in the neck and arm, causing her to collapse and die on the spot.
The accused has been identified as Vikas Patiyal, a resident of Gopalpur in Sarkaghat, and the police have arrested him.
Vikas fled the spot, however, locals later found him hiding in the nearby fields and caught him. He was handed over to the police. The police are interrogating him to ascertain the motive behind the murder.
Mandi superintendent of police Vinod Kumar said the probe is underway. “A case of murder has been registered at Sarkaghat police station. There were many injury marks on victim’s body. One person has been arrested and his interrogation is underway. We are ascertaining his motive behind the crime,” he said.
The victim’s body was sent to Nerchowk Medical College for a post-mortem examination and was later handed over to the family members. The victim’s father is a truck driver and she has two sisters.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed anguish over the incident on social media. He said the crime has embarrassed the state and instilled fear in families whose daughters travel for education. “The law and order in the state is in bad shape. Those involved should be punished for their heinous crime,” added Jai Ram, who also met the victim’s family members.
Himachal Pradesh Women’s Commission chairperson Vidya Negi said, “It is a condemnable and painful incident. I spoke to the SP Mandi, who informed me that the accused has been arrested. I urged that strict action be taken against the accused so that it serves as a deterrent to people with such a mentality.”
