Tension continued to rise in the Khoda area of Ghaziabad after the body of 17-year-old Surya Chauhan reached his residence in Navneet Vihar Colony following the postmortem examination. The grieving family of the Class 11 student refused to perform his last rites and demanded strict and immediate action against the accused involved in his killing during Bakrid celebrations.

The death of the teenager has triggered outrage across the locality, with local residents and Hindu organisations gathering outside the family home in support of their demands. Family members alleged that the killing was not an ordinary fight between youths but was linked to an attempt to force Surya to witness goat slaughter on Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice.

Surya’s devastated mother, Sumita, broke down while speaking about the death of her son. In an emotional statement, she said, “My son was sacrificed on Bakrid. Now I want the body of the accused, Asad, in front of me.” The family has declared that they will not perform the final rites of Surya until the main accused, Asad, is killed in a police encounter.

The demand has also been openly supported by Hindu organisations, including Bajrang Dal. Members of the organisation gathered in the area and warned authorities that if immediate action was not taken against the accused, they would intensify their protest. Representatives of Bajrang Dal stated that if Asad was not encountered and his house was not demolished within an hour, a major agitation would begin in the region.

As emotions continued to escalate, protesters reportedly arranged for a deep freezer to preserve Surya’s body until their demands were fulfilled. Police officials remained at the residence for several hours and repeatedly attempted to convince the family to carry out the cremation since the postmortem process had already been completed. However, the family refused to change its stand.

Surya Chauhan lived with his family in Navneet Vihar Colony in Khoda. According to his elder brother Yash, the chain of events began when Surya was invited to the house of accused Asad on the occasion of Bakrid. Surya reportedly went there along with his friends Ayush and Vicky.

During the visit, a conversation allegedly took place regarding animal slaughter. Vicky later narrated that Arshad asked Surya whether he had ever witnessed the slaughter of a goat. When Surya replied that he had not, Arshad allegedly told him, ‘let me show you how it is done.’

According to the family and friends, Surya refused to watch the slaughter. Following this refusal, an argument reportedly broke out. Vicky alleged that Surya was subjected to abusive remarks and halal-related taunts by the Muslim youths present there. The verbal exchange quickly turned violent.

During the confrontation, Surya was allegedly stabbed in the stomach by the accused youths. Despite suffering severe injuries, the teenager reportedly displayed extraordinary courage. Witnesses stated that Surya ran nearly 200 metres with the knife still lodged inside his body before collapsing on the road. Even after he fell, he was allegedly attacked again.

His friends rushed him to the hospital in critical condition, where doctors attempted to save his life. However, after battling his injuries for several days, Surya succumbed on May 29.

The family has also expressed fear for the safety of Surya’s brother, Yash. Relatives claimed that they now fear he could also become a target and have demanded security from the authorities.

Following the incident, Khoda police initiated action against multiple accused identified as Asad, Nawab, Farhan, Atif, and Sariq, along with several others. A First Information Report was registered based on the complaint filed by the victim’s family.

Police officials confirmed that three of the five accused named in the FIR have already been arrested. Those arrested include Farhan, who is the father of the main accused Asad, along with Asif and Nawab. At the same time, multiple police teams have been carrying out raids in different locations to arrest the remaining absconding accused, including prime suspect Asad. Police sources said that apart from Asad, several members of his family are also absconding. Two additional suspects have also been detained and are being questioned in connection with the case.

Initially, the police had registered the matter as a case of attempt to murder. However, after Surya died during treatment, the charges were converted into a murder case.

Considering the tension in the area and the growing protests, heavy police deployment has been made across the sensitive Khoda locality to prevent any deterioration in law and order. Senior officers have remained on alert as crowds continue to gather outside the victim’s residence.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Abhishek Srivastava confirmed that several police teams were formed immediately after the incident and that the investigation is being treated as a priority matter. Authorities have also appealed to the public not to circulate rumours or inflammatory content on social media platforms during the investigation.

Meanwhile, Hindu organisations including the VHP and Bajrang Dal have intensified their protests and demanded strict action against those they described as fanatic elements involved in the crime.

The incident has also drawn political attention. BSP chief Mayawati described the killing as “extremely tragic and alarming” and urged the government to take effective measures to control rising crime, especially at a time when elections are approaching.

As Surya’s body remains at the family residence and local residents continue to arrive in support of the grieving family, pressure on the administration has continued to grow. Police officials are now under intense scrutiny to ensure that all accused involved in the murder are arrested quickly and brought to justice.

For now, the atmosphere in Khoda remains tense, emotional, and heavily charged, even though additional security forces have been deployed across the locality. The Chauhan family, shattered by the death of their teenage son, continues to stand firm on its demand before performing his final rites.