Jasbir Singh being taken away by a police officer in Pathankot.
— A Tribune photograph |
Pathankot, May 13
In a terrifying incident, a B.Ed. student of local SD College, stabbed a girl of his class to death in the broad daylight today. The boy later climbed on a loft of the third floor of the college building and threatened to jump. It took over three hours for the police, which had to seek assistance from the Army, to bring down the boy safely.
The incident occurred at about 10.15 am in a classroom of the college where B.Ed. students had gathered to submit their project reports. After some altercation with Monika Rani Minas, Jasbir Singh, a resident of Chhejali village, took out a dagger from under his shirt and stabbed Monika repeatedly on her chest and abdomen.
According to the eyewitnesses, the college authorities rushed critically injured Monika to the Civil Hospital, Pathankot. However, she succumbed to her injuries on the way.
It is claimed that both were having an affair and Monika recently turned down Jasbir’s marriage proposal due to his belonging to the lower caste.
Holding the blood-strained weapon, the assailant rushed outside and climbed the stairs to the third floor of the college building. Threatening to commit suicide, Jasbir perched atop a loft of the third floor and became abusive. He did not spare the police personnel, college staff, Army officials and even mediapersons gathered here.
The news spread like wildfire in the area following which the father of the assailant, Amar Singh, also reached the spot. Mad in anger, Jasbir even turned down his father's requests. Later, two women teachers went upstairs and had a conversation with
Jasbir, but to no avail. He even took mobile phone of a teacher and made certain calls to verify whether the girl was dead.
A high drama was witnessed for over three hours, as the assailant took out a bottle containing celphos tablets threatening to commit suicide.
Pathankot SP Harpreet Singh along with SDP (City) Karamjit Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the boy. The two-and-a-half hour exercise between the assailant and the police proved futile.
Finally, the SP had to seek assistance from the Army authorities. An equipped team of Army personnel from the 21-sub area reached the spot and spread mattress and set up a net right under the loaf where Jasbir was camping.
Meanwhile, the boy kept on verifying from the gathering, especially from the police personnel and the college staff, if Monika was dead or not. Finally, he gave up after confirming that the girl was dead.
The SP claimed that Jasbir had been proposing the girl for marriage. The girl had turned down Jasbir’s proposal since he belonged to a lower caste, he said.
After confiscating the weapon used in the crime, the police has registered a case of murder against Jasbir on the complaint of Sulakshan Singh, brother of the deceased.
It is learned that Jasbir, son of a retired school principal, had also approached Monkia’s family in the Sunder Nagar locality of Pathankot, and placed a proposal of marriage before her mother. Monika was a daughter of Balwan Singh, an Armyman, presently posted in Orissa.
The father of the assailant, however, claimed that his son was forced to take the extreme step as the girl had betrayed him in love.
