Family looks back at what could have gone so wrong for younger brother to turn killer Unlike his elder brother,he was reclusive and obstinate. Family members and relatives say he might even have been jealous of his brother. But no one ever thought Sahil (name changed),17,would be so vengeful as to allegedly hack his brother Hemant to death. Five days after the murder,relatives on Saturday said the two were as friendly and as bitter with each other as any other pair of siblings. They shared their clothes,shoes,pocket money,went for movies together,and had differences as well. But they were always resolved within minutes,they said. Except this time,with Hemants body allegedly dumped in the Hindon and Sahil behind bars. No one knows what triggered the scuffle which so enraged Sahil that on January 18 he allegedly decided to kill his brother at their fathers official residence in Ghaziabads Ghanta Ghar police station. Some say the Pulsar bike their parents bought for Hemant,which he refused to share with Sahil,sparked off a long-concealed jealousy. A first year law student at Mewar Law Institute,Hemant,being the good-looking,well-mannered and sociable older sibling,always outshone Sahil at school and at home. Uma Singh,their stepmother who brought up the two after their mother passed away a few years ago,said: We loved Hemant because he was good at everything he stood out in the crowd with his exemplary behaviour. He was fun-loving,respectful,wanted to study hard and be like his father. He gave us no reason to complain. He was a responsible boy and chided his younger brothers when they played truant,like any other older sibling. Even Sahils teachers asked him to follow his elder brothers example,she said. Hemant had once gone to drop Sahil for tuition. When his tutor offered to shake hands with Hemant,he bent down to touch his feet. Sahils tutor was so impressed that he always set Hemant as an example for Sahil, Uma Singh recalled. The boys aunt,Santosh,said,Hemant was an example for both his younger brothers. He had taken after his father tall,fair and very responsible. He had started rigorous physical training of late since he wanted to join the police force. He planned to write the examination soon. Depression to blame? The Ghaziabad police officials have even questioned Sahils state of clinical depression,which was pointed out two years ago by authorities at Chhabil Das Public School,where he studied. The authorities complained to Sahils parents about his misbehaviour and restlessness he underwent psychiatric treatment at a private hospital. On Saturday,Ghaziabad DIG Akhil Kumar maintained that prima facie it is a case of sibling rivalry and jealousy. But,he added,that exists among most siblings. He said: What is shocking is that it led to a murder. There are records of Sahil being mentally disturbed earlier and we are trying to probe this angle. Uma Singh said Sahil was more reclusive at home while his teachers complained that he was quite disobedient. Sahil has never been bright in school but every child has strengths and weaknesses. So we never took that very seriously. He is just 17 and impressionable. The crime at their father Fire Station Officer (FSO) Anand Pal Singhs official flat was discovered by the familys domestic help on Tuesday morning who noticed bloodstains in the house and an axe in the backyard. A neighbour called the police. When Sahil and his younger step-brother were called for interrogation,Sahil initially tried spinning a yarn. But the Class XII student broke down after a day of sustained interrogation and confessed to the murder,the police said. On the first day,Sahil said Hemant had murdered a Delhi resident called Lucky over an alleged love affair, an officer said. Later,we found the victim was Hemant. Sahil admitted he had killed him and taken his younger step-brothers help to dispose of the body in the Hindon canal. Since he could not drive,he had asked his younger brother to get their fathers Maruti-800 car. Lying in his sons room in his Sector-4 Vasundhara flat,FSO Singh refused to speak to the media. Singhs official residence in the Ghanta Ghar police station,where the murder was committed,is sealed and he has been served a notice to vacate it. Sources said he may face departmental inquiry as the murder took place inside his official residence. Till late Friday evening,a steamer,24 divers and a Provincial Armed Constabulary team were deployed to search for Hemants body. Teams have also been deployed at Yamuna and Okhla barrages. The police are hopeful of retrieving not just the body but missing evidence such as mattresses,bedsheets and his mobile phone.
