Karnal, June 12 -- A day after three friends were allegedly run over and killed by a Scorpio SUV in Panipat district, their families on Thursday claimed that the incident was a targeted murder linked to an illegal mining dispute, which had initially been perceived as a road accident. The victims, Narendra Gahlayan (46), Vinod (48), and Anip (36), were all residents of Dikadla village in Samalkha subdivision of the district. Police said that the incident occurred around 9 pm on Wednesday on the Dikadla Aata Road in Samalkha, when the three friends were returning back from the fields and were hit by the SUV. On Thursday, as locals gathered at the crime spot in the presence of forensic teams, the families claimed that the suspects deliberately rammed their vehicle into them, to kill them. DSP Narendra Kadiyan said that the men were taken to civil hospital for treatment but were declared dead. SP Bhupinder Singh said that it was informed to the police as an accident, but since it was a fatal accident, police teams visited the spot and suspected foul play. Families said that the victim Narendra, a property dealer, had allegedly been at odds with the villagers, who suspected him of informing the mining department about their illegal mining activities. SP said that based on the complaint, a murder case was registered against nine men of the same village. "The suspects are still at large. Our police teams are making efforts to arrest them after which the reason will be clarified," he added....