A 22-year-old student of a private college was stabbed to death Tuesday allegedly when he tried to rescue another student from three attackers outside his shop in Kathua's Dher Pinter area. Police arrested all the three accused and suspended Internet services in the area to prevent escalation of tension after local residents took out a procession to protest against the alleged murder. According to the police, Abid owed Rs 500 to Abhishek Sharma — the two went to the same college as Liaquat Ali, who was killed in the attack. Abhishek had sought the help of his brother-in-law Honey Khajuria and Rinku, residents of the same area, to make Abid repay the amount. Honey works as a multi purpose worker under National Rural Health Mission. Sources said Abid and Abhishek had been friends until recently when their relations reportedly soured after the former defaulted on the repayment of Rs 500. On Tuesday afternoon, Abid came running from college and took shelter inside a roadside eatery run by Liaquat’s cousin Parvez Mir. Parvez rang up the Billawar police station after Abid sought help saying that some people in a car were after him. Policemen told Parvez to ask Abid to come to the police station, nearly 6 km away. However, as Abid refused to move out apprehending threat to his life, Parvez rang up the police station again and some police personnel arrived in a Gypsy. They picked up Abid and dropped him outside the eatery after failing to find the accused. Immediately after they left, the accused came in a Swift Dzire car and overpowered Abid at an under-construction shop being built nearby by the father of the deceased, Muneer Hussain Mir (55), a government school teacher. Parvez’s wife Mumtaz tried to rescue Abid, but the accused attacked her with a stick, leaving one of her arms fractured. Liaquat then tried to stop the assailants, but was stabbed by the accused, who then fled in a car. However, Kathua SSP Shri Dhar Patil said Abid had a minor scuffle with the accused. He said a police patrol in the vicinity asked Abid to accompany them and lodge a complaint if he felt a threat to life. However, Abid refused to lodge a complaint and told them that he will come to the police station later, he said, adding that police were investigating whether it was a case of financial dispute or a love affair. Following the murder, local residents took out a procession to the house of Honey Khajuria. Window panes of the residence were broken as stones were pelted at it while CRPF and police personnel were deployed to prevent a flare-up, sources said.
