Minor held for murdering 7-year-old near KMP Expressway
The minor suspect allegedly killed the boy with a pair of scissors attacking him nearly 18 times on Saturday evening, due to a grudge against the child for exposing a mobile phone theft about two months ago. This, in turn, led to the accused being forced to apologise to the victim’s father, police said
Gurugram: A 16-year-old boy was apprehended on Monday for allegedly murdering a seven-year-old child, whose body was found with multiple stab wounds near the green belt along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Kalwadi village, officials from Bilaspur police station said.
A 16-year-old boy was apprehended on Monday for allegedly murdering a seven-year-old child, whose body was found with multiple stab wounds near the green belt along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Kalwadi village. (HT PHOTO)
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The minor suspect allegedly killed the boy with a pair of scissors attacking him nearly 18 times on Saturday evening, due to a grudge against the child for exposing a mobile phone theft about two months ago. This, in turn, led to the accused being forced to apologise to the victim’s father, police said.
During preliminary questioning, the juvenile confessed to luring the child identified as Ashish, to an isolated spot and stabbing him 18–20 times before fleeing. He was tracked and apprehended from Kalwadi village in Nuh district late on Sunday evening.
“The suspect has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and further investigation is underway,” said Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar.
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Kumar said that the juvenile had helped in the search and even called the police on Sunday morning to check if the body had been found.
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Kumar said that the juvenile had helped in the search and even called the police on Sunday morning to check if the body had been found.
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According to police, the body of Ashish Kumar, was spotted on Sunday afternoon, in the green belt near Kalwadi village along the KMP Expressway near Bilaspur. Locals informed the police control room. Tauru police arrived initially, but as the area falls under Bilaspur police station, the local police took over.
A forensic team, fingerprint experts and a duty magistrate were called to the spot to collect evidence. A blood-stained pair of scissors, believed to have been used in the murder, was recovered from the spot. The body was sent to the Gurugram civil hospital for a post-mortem examination.
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In his complaint to the police, the victim’s father, who lives with his family on rent in Fatehpur village, said both he and his wife work for a delivery company in Pathredi. On the evening of July 19, his wife returned home around 7pm and assumed Ashish was playing with friends. Later, the father left for work at 8pm. On July 20, while returning home, he heard about a child’s body being found near the Kalwadi bus stand. Upon visiting the scene, he identified the body as his son’s. The child had visible stab injuries on his chest and forehead.
The father told the police that about two months ago, a mobile phone had gone missing from their home. Ashish had informed him that the phone was with a boy in the neighbourhood. He confronted the boy and retrieved the phone, following which both Ashish and the father asked the boy to apologise. Investigators said the humiliation caused by this incident allegedly prompted the boy to plan the child’s murder.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
