Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati highlighted the murder of a youth in Ghaziabad's Khoda area, calling it 'extremely tragic and alarming' and urging strict action against the perpetrators.

She emphasised the need for preventive measures as crime rates rise and warned of the potential wider impact ahead of elections.

In a post on X, Mayawati stated, “There is a need for the government and administration to take appropriate steps to prevent such incidents that are happening daily. At the same time, the criminals involved in this incident should be identified and definitely given legal punishment.” She added, “As the time of elections draws nearer, such incidents will have widespread adverse consequences. Therefore, the government must remain fully alert.”

The remarks followed the stabbing and subsequent death of a teenager within the Khoda police station limits. Indirapuram ACP Abhishek Srivastava reported that on May 28, around 3.30 pm, police received information of a youth being stabbed by another boy. The injured youth was taken to hospital but died during treatment. A written complaint was lodged by the family and the accused has been charged under relevant sections. Teams are conducting a search for the accused.

The victim's mother alleged her son was lured before the attack, saying, “On Eid, a boy named Arshad tricked my child into calling him. He was asked if he had ever seen a goat being slaughtered, to which he replied no. Then my child was stabbed. I want justice.”

Describing the aftermath emotionally and criticising police response, she said, “I was not at home; I was on duty. Someone called me and told me that my son had been stabbed. When I came, I saw my son’s face at around 7 o’clock. After that, I did not get to see his face again for half a day. I want justice. The police are not doing anything; they are sleeping. If the police had acted in time, wouldn’t they have been able to catch the person who stabbed my son at 1 o’clock? Wouldn’t they have been able to catch him?”

The victim’s maternal aunt, Sunita, recounted her experience at the hospital: “I went to the hospital first. I saw them there. They wanted to prove that first a goat was sacrificed and now, they would sacrifice a human. On the day of Bakra Eid, my child was called from home by deceit. Then he was asked how a goat is slaughtered. What do Hindu children know about such things? Our children have never seen bloodshed. What would they say? They would say they had never seen it. Then he was stabbed in the stomach, and his life ended there.”