The protest by the family of a 17-year-old Kumbra boy who was killed on Wednesday ended on Saturday after 53 hours when the police arrested four accused, including a minor.

Police have also identified two more accused and efforts are on to trace them.

Placing the mortal remains in a coffin, the family of victim Daman Kumar protested at Sector 68/79 light point on Airport Road since 10 am on Thursday demanding justice.

In response, police blocked all four roads leading to the protest site, triggering significant traffic chaos on the main thoroughfare, which connects Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and its peripheral roads up to 5 km away.

The protest ended around 3pm on Saturday after the family was informed of the arrest and assured that their demands would be taken to higher authorities.

The protesters were demanding financial compensation and a government job for a family member. The family submitted a letter of demand to Mohali SDM Damandeep Kaur, who promised to escalate their demands to higher authorities.

Later, the family finally performed the last rites in Kumbra, three days after the murder.

During the day, snaking traffic jams were seen on Airport Road and peripheral roads during the morning rush hours due to the gridlock. However, after 4 pm, things returned to normal and traffic resumed on Airport Road after 53 hours.

All the accused are under the age of 22

Addressing the media, DIG Ropar Range Nilambari Vijay Jagadale confirmed that four accused, including a minor, have been detained. Several police teams have been deployed in various states, including Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, to locate the accused.

Apart from the minor, the three arrested accused have been identified as Aman Taank, 19, resident of Sector 52, Chandigarh; and Arun, 19, and Akash, 22, both residents of Kumbra.

All three hailed from different villages in Uttar Pradesh and were living in rented accommodation, the DIG said. The minor’s details have been withheld due to his minor status.

Earlier on Friday, the police arrested Gaurav, a resident of Sohana, originally from Uttar Pradesh, for helping the accused. He allegedly provided them with new SIM cards and left them at ISBT Sector 17 in Chandigarh after the murder. Two more accused, identified as Ritesh and Amit, are still at large.

According to DIG Jagadale, the incident took place around 6.45 pm on Wednesday following a dispute over parking of bicycles. The accused allegedly abused and later stabbed the victim, Daman, and his friend Dilpreet. Both sustained serious injuries, with Daman succumbing to his injuries while Dilpreet remains hospitalized.

He fled to Delhi by train

Following the murder, the accused fled to Dhanas to a female relative, later traveling to Delhi by train. They sought refuge with a distant relative in Tilak Nagar, Delhi without revealing their crime. The accused avoided using mobile phones for calls, instead relying on social media apps to communicate, the senior police officer said.

With the help of technical surveillance and human intelligence, the police successfully nabbed them from Delhi, she added. Police are continuing their efforts to locate the remaining accused, while the family await further steps to seek justice for their loss.

All the accused were produced before the court to obtain remand.