Patiala, May 20 -- Police on Tuesday booked a close friend of a final-year MBBS student of Government Medical College, Patiala, whose body was found with stab wounds at his paying guest accommodation, on charges of murder. "Mohit Verma, a childhood friend of the deceased Kamaldeep Kumar Mittal, has been booked under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He is on the run," said Patiala superintendent of police (SP) Palwinder Singh Cheema. Kamaldeep, 24, was found dead in his PG room in the New Lal Bagh area of the city on Monday. "Mohit was the last person seen with Kamaldeep before his death. The probe revealed that the accused stayed with the victim on Sunday night and left the accommodation the next morning at 7:15 am carrying a bag. The autopsy reveals that Kamaldeep was murdered between 6:15 am and 7:15 am," said a police official. Mohit hails from Bareta in Mansa district which is also Kamaldeep's native town. "After the murder, Mohit went to his hometown and then fled from there. Our teams are conducting raids and he will be arrested soon," said SP Cheema. When asked about the motive, the SP said exact details would become clear only after the accused's arrest. Kamaldeep's family members alleged that the accused had been demanding money from the deceased. According to officials involved in the investigation, Mohit transferred nearly Rs.25,000 from the deceased's phone into his account after the murder. The autopsy shows that the victim sustained more than 10 stab wounds, mainly around the neck and the face, said a police official. Forensic experts categorised the killing as exceptionally violent due to the nature and number of injuries inflicted on the victim. "Multiple stab injuries to the neck completely damaged the vocal cords. Most of the wounds were bone-deep. A sharp-edged weapon was used by the murderer," said an official privy to the investigation. Investigators believe the murder may have stemmed from a personal dispute, though the exact motive is yet to be established. Kamaldeep's kin alleged that the probe was proceeding slowly. "It has been more than 36 hours since my son was killed and the police have not been able to arrest the accused," said Mohinderpal Mittal, father of the deceased. "I want the strictest punishment for the man who killed my son," he added. Patiala DSP Sanjeev Kumar, however, said, "We were quick to registered an FIR after identifying the accused. Teams led by CIA in-charges have been formed to conduct raids at multiple locations to nab the accused."...