The murder of a 24-year-old final-year MBBS student at Government Medical College, Patiala, has been described by police as premeditated and linked to financial disputes involving Futures & Options (F&O) trading and online gaming losses.
F&O are derivative contracts in which parties agree to buy or sell an underlying asset at a predetermined price on a future date. Such instruments are often used for hedging but carry significant risk, particularly for inexperienced traders.
The victim, Kamaldeep Kumar Mittal, was allegedly killed by his childhood friend Mohit Verma, on Monday. He has been arrested and booked under Sections 103 (murder) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Varun Sharma said during a press briefing that the investigation indicates that the incident was planned in advance and stemmed from ongoing financial tensions between the two.
According to police, both the accused and the victim were involved in F&O trading. Mohit reportedly incurred losses and debts, linked to speculative trading and online gaming activities.
Investigators also found that Kamaldeep had invested nearly ₹35 lakh — allegedly borrowed from a relative abroad — after being introduced to trading opportunities through the accused.
Police believe that repayment demands and mounting financial pressure created friction between the two over time.
Officials said the two spent several hours together on the day of the incident, including watching a movie, following an IPL match and having dinner. Police said this indicates there was no immediate outward conflict prior to the incident.
Police are reviewing mobile data, banking records and UPI transactions to establish the sequence of financial dealings between the two. Police also stated that after the incident, a ₹25,000 transfer was allegedly made from the victim’s phone to the accused’s account via UPI.
Police said the accused and the victim were childhood friends from Bareta in Mansa district and had studied together until Class 10. Investigators noted that both had access to each other’s financial credentials due to close trust and familiarity.
The probe is on to determine the sequence of financial transactions and disputes leading up to the case, police said.
