Police on Wednesday arrested the main accused in the murder of a 24-year-old final-year MBBS student of Government Medical College (GMC), Patiala. The accused, identified as Mohit Verma, was a childhood friend of the deceased, Kamaldeep Kumar Mittal. Both belonged to Bareta town in the Mansa district.
A senior police official associated with the probe said Verma had been detained after remaining absconding since Monday morning.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused had purchased the knife used in the crime a day before the incident. The alleged murder weapon has also been recovered,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.
He added that the investigators suspect that a financial dispute between the two friends may have led to the killing.
“Verma had allegedly borrowed around ₹20 lakh from the deceased and was under pressure to return the money. However, his statements are yet to be verified,” the police officer said.
According to the police, the accused also sustained injuries during the incident and later sought treatment at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala and another hospital in Samana.
“He had multiple injuries on his arms, and after treatment, he called his parents and told them that he had suffered injuries in an accident,” the official said.
Mittal was found dead with multiple stab wounds at his paying guest accommodation in the New Lal Bagh area of the city on Monday. Police said Verma was reportedly the last person seen with Mittal before his death.
The probe revealed that the accused stayed with the victim on Sunday night and left the accommodation the next morning at 7:15 am, carrying a bag.
According to officials involved in the investigation, Verma transferred nearly ₹25,000 from the deceased’s phone into his account after the murder.
