“People used to ask him to speak again and again since the way he pronounced words was very cute and unpretentious,” said Jai Singh, Sanju’s uncle.

Sanju studied in Class II in Rishikul Public School in Alipur. His mother Neelam said that he always talked of wanting to become a pahalwan (wrestler). His friends and neighbours said he was indeed bold and daring.

“ If anybody said anything to him, he would hit back,” said Sumit, his friend. “He used to regularly play cricket with us here but cycling was his favourite past time.”

Sanju’s sisters, Sumiti (14) and Kavita (12), stay with their grandfather in Rohini Sector 2. The inconsolable sisters said, “We cannot live without our brother. He loved us and always listened to us.”

All the teachers from his school visited his house to console the family. “He was average in studies but was very active in extra-circular activities, and his behaviour was good. He was a cheerful child. We never received any complaints about him,” said Rajeev Kumar, his schoolteacher. On Thursday, Sanju had sat for his social studies exams and was happy throughout the day.

Police officers said they were informed that Sanju was mentally unstable and often suffered bouts of amnesia. His family, however, denied such reports.

“He was sharp and could even fool an aged person,” said Jai Singh. About his lisping, his mother Neelam said, “It was natural and doctors had said that it would disappear automatically as he grew older. Everybody understood what he was saying.”

The bereaved family is not ready to accept that Sanju might have been murdered by somebody known to him because he was going to inherit his father’s property worth several crore rupees.