The four accused, charged with the murder of financier Vinod Mittal and his four-year-old son Yashan, have been remanded in police custody till March 9. The youths — Ashok Kumar (20), a resident of Abheypur in Industrial area, Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Abheypur, Mobin Khan (19), a resident of Saharanpur, and Sonu, a resident of Hanumangarh — were produced in the District Courts on Sunday afternoon. The prime accused Raju, along with his wife Shilpa and daughter, is absconding.

While coming out of the courtroom, Mobin Khan publicly confessed that he was the one who pushed Yashan into the river. “We bought knives from Sector 43 to kill Yashan. All of us stabbed him several times and then threw his body in the river,” said Mobin. The bodies are yet to be found.

Meanwhile, residents blocked traffic on the Zirakpur-Panchkula highway for three hours around 1 pm on Monday demanding the suspension of Baltana police In-charge ASI Kishore Chand Katoch. The protestors, which included shopkeepers, traders and members of market welfare association, Zirakpur Trade Union and Aggarwal Seva Samiti, said the lives of Mittal and his son could have been saved, had the police acted in time. Subhash Malik, husband of Baltana’s municipal councillor Manisha Malik, was beaten up by the protestors after he spoke in favour of ASI Katoch.

The blockade was lifted only after Mohali Superintendent of Police (Detective) R K Bakshi assured the protestors of a detailed investigation followed by early action. “The inquiry has been marked to Dera Bassi Deputy Superintendent of Police J S Garewal. If the allegations against ASI Katoch are proved, the authorities will take appropriate action against him,” the SP said.