In a ghastly incident though rare of its kind, 24-year–old Wasim, a carpenter, was allegedly hacked to death by his cousin on Monday morning over a fight for drinking water. He was killed just outside his house at Ibrahimpur village under the jurisdiction of Pathri police station. Kadir Khan, the accused, has been absconding since the incident. The shocked villagers have held the administration responsible for the incident with their collective demand for water supply through overhead tank being overlooked for a long time. They now draw water through hand pump, a process that leads to frequent quarrels among themselves. Haridwar Police have launched a massive manhunt to nab the accused.
According to the police, families of both Wasim and Kadir, living in the same village, use a hand pump for drinking water. The hand pump located outside Wasim’s house remains a cause for regular fights between both the families.
On Monday morning, as Wasim went to wash his face an altercation ensued between him and Kadir. The verbal duel turned violent as Kadir stabbed Wasim in his chest with a knife repeatedly. Kadir then escaped, leaving Wasim bleeding profusely. Wasim was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Speaking to The Pioneer, SHO Pathri village Chadra Bhan Singh said, “The body has been sent to district hospital for autopsy. A police team has been deployed as a precautionary measure in the village to maintain peace . We are trying our best to nab the accused.”
The people from the village where the incident occurred said that daily brawls over drinking water have become a part of their life. “The only option left being the hand pump, villagers are used to quarreling almost every day. We have been demanding water supply through over- head tank for a long time. But no one pays a heed into our demand. The nonchalance on the part of those who could have solved the matter has culminated in such a ghastly crime,” lamented one of the shocked villagers Javed Khan.