Kutel (Karnal), December 17
A place of worship and three houses of members of a religious community were damaged while another house was torched as communal violence erupted in the peaceful village of Kutel in Karnal.

Members of the other community went on the rampage following the mysterious disappearance of a youth, whom they alleged had been murdered. The village looked like a fort with the police deployed in strength but scared members of the targeted community alleged that the attackers damaged the houses in the presence of the policemen. According to the village Lambardar, his son -- on the night of December 13 -- received a phone call and went out in a casual dress and ‘chappals’ and did not return.

They made frantic searches, called up all relatives and friends but there was no clue to his whereabouts. The cousin of the deceased said that the Lambardar’s son had received a call from a girl. The search party got information that the accused, who belongs to a minority community and stays near the Lambardar’s cattle yard, had gone out on his bike at the same time. Suspecting foul play, the Lambardar’s family registered a police complaint.

The police have booked the accused under Section 365 (kidnapping) of the IPC. During questioning, the accused admitted that he and his son had spotted the Lambardar’s son lurking near their house. They clubbed him to death, put his body in a sack and threw it into the Rawar augmentation canal, 5 km from the village, said Karnal SP, Shashank Anand, who is camping in Kutel village.

The body has not been recovered so far. Divers from Kurukshetra and Karnal have been called to fish it out and the Irrigation Department has been asked to stop the discharge of water into the canal.

The SP said that a case of murder under Section 302 of IPC would be registered after the body was found.

Anand said that as adequate security had been provided at the accused’s house, the mob was not able to vandalise it. So the miscreants targeted his relatives’ houses. A case of rioting and damage to property has been registered against 30-35 persons.