E-Paper
Lawyer arrested for stabbing Kharar property dealer to death
Had also suffered injuries in a scuffle with the victim; arrested after discharge from hospital, say Kharar police
A week after a 38-year-old property dealer was found stabbed to death near Skylark Apartments in Kharar on September 13, police have cracked the case with the arrest of the accused.
Mukand Bhaskar, a lawyer by qualification, had also sustained injuries in the scuffle with the victim and remained admitted at the civil hospital in Phase 6, Mohali. He was arrested after his discharge from the hospital.
The victim, Harvinder Singh, a resident of Kharar, was discovered with multiple stab wounds, while his friend Lucky lay injured nearby. Harvinder was declared dead on the spot and Lucky was taken to the Phase-6 civil hospital.
ASI Bawinder Sharma confirmed that Lucky had also been discharged from the hospital.
Police said Harvinder, who earlier ran a Chinese food shop and had met the accused there for the first time before shifting to property dealing, had long-standing differences with him. The two had fought on earlier occasions as well but had reached a compromise each time. Harvinder had even told Bhaskar that if he ever needed support in buying property, he could help him.
On the night of the incident, Bhaskar, Harvinder and Lucky were drinking together when, under the influence of alcohol, they got into an altercation, which spiralled into a brawl.
According to police, Bhaskar confessed that Harvinder hit him on the leg, after which the fight escalated and he stabbed him with a knife. The exact reason for the argument has not been revealed yet.
Kharar DSP Karan Sandhu said, “This incident did not arise from a serious dispute, it stemmed from minor disagreements between the individuals involved. They had met around 11 pm and the unfortunate incident occurred around 3 am. During this period, all three were heavily under the influence of alcohol, which contributed to the escalation. Due to their inebriated state, they are unable to recall the exact point at which the argument intensified.”
Liquor glasses and other evidence collected from the scene support the account that the trio had been drinking when the altercation turned violent.
On the evening of the incident, Harvinder had left home around 8 pm, telling his wife he would return in an hour after buying school bags for their children. Later, during calls around 10 pm and 2 am, his wife heard the voices of Lucky and another man in the background, indicating he was with them. When he did not return home by early morning and his phone went off, the family grew worried, only to be informed later that he was found dead near Skylark Apartments.
Bhaskar is facing charges under Sections 103 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS. Police said further questioning will help establish the exact sequence of events.
