12-year-old kidnapped, burnt to death

A 12-year-old schoolboy was burnt alive in broad daylight on Monday in Punjab’s Malerkotla township, trigerring local protests that blocked the highway connecting Ludhiana and Patiala. Malerkotla is a Muslim-dominated area in Punjab.

The boy, identified as Vidhu Jain, was on his way to his brothers’ schools to drop his lunch box that he had forgotten home. In an unexpected turn, suspects kidnapped the boy and then poured petrol on his body before setting him on fire. He was brought to the local hospital with 100 percent burns and died.

The incident took place at around noon on Monday. The police say that the motive is being probed. Angry relatives and locals ransacked buses and blocked the highways in protest. The shopkeepers at Malerkotla and Dhuri observed complete shut down after the incident. No arrests have been made so far while investigations are underway.

The crime, sources said, could have also been committed for ransom. The family of the boy runs a departmental store in the township.