SD student’s death: Mohali boy fails to join investigation; Tanishq’s kin insist it isn’t suicide

However, the boy is missing and his mobile phone is also switched off after police tried to reach out to him on Friday. His family, too, claims they are not aware of his whereabouts, said police.

The Mohali boy who police claim was the last to meet Tanishq Bhasin, 19, the night before he was found dead on Thursday did not turn up to join investigations on Saturday.

While sources in the police department said they believe it is a case of suicide, the SD College student’s family still suspect foul play. (HT File)

The boy, whose identity has not been revealed yet, was summoned on Friday after the Panchkula police found that the two friends had the same mobile phone tower location in Mohali on Wednesday night, after which Tanishq had switched off his phone.

However, the boy is missing and his mobile phone is also switched off after police tried to reach out to him on Friday. His family, too, claims they are not aware of his whereabouts, said police.

“The boy’s father, who works in Verka, met local police officials on Saturday and told them that he too was worried about his son’s disappearance,” said a police officer, involved in the probe. He said the fact that the boy has gone missing has deepened the mystery surrounding Tanishq’s death.

“Hopefully, he will join the probe soon and help us piece together the missing links,” the officer said. Sources said even Tanishq’s family is not aware about his Mohali friend. Police said the victim had a huge friend circle beyond his classmates, and the Mohali boy was among them.

Was not alone in car: Family

While sources in the police department said they believe it is a case of suicide, the SD College student’s family still suspect foul play. Tanishq’s uncle Anil Bhasin told HT that things recovered from inside the car hinted at the presence of another person at the time of the teen’s death.

Bhasin said recovery of a pack of cigarettes and matchsticks from the car and a stub from outside raises suspicion. He said Tanishq never smoked, and they had reconfirmed this fact from his close friends.

The uncle said there was also a pack of chips lying below the rear seat. “Tanishq was very particular about cleanliness and never allowed anyone to eat inside his vehicle,” he said.

Anil, who is younger brother of Tanishq’s father, said that police have based the suicide theory on the fact that the car was locked from inside and the keys were also recovered from inside the car.

“But we have found that it is easier to lock the car from outside without the keys,” he said. Bhasin said the family wants the police to take all required steps to dig deeper into the incident.

“To us, it does not appear to be a case of suicide,” he said. Sources said Tanishq’s mother had shared contacts of his 10 close friends, but all claimed that they had not seen any behavioural change in him that could suggest that he would take such an extreme step.

“If he wanted to commit suicide, then what was need to procure a sophisticated weapon?” questioned a person close to the family, who did not want to be named.