Dinesh is barely able to speak as he lies in his bed at Safdarjung hospital. ``Sonu always used to extort money from the other boys in the school,'' he says. ``He used to demand about five to ten rupees everyday from the students for either going to a movie or buying some food. There are some other boys too in the school indulging in extortion. But no one had the guts to stand up to them.'' Dinesh and Sonu study in class 10 in the government school in Sector 6 in R.K. Puram. They also live just a few houses away from each other. He says that two days ago he was approached by Sonu and two other boys who demanded five rupees from him. ``I refused to pay the money and told the principal B.M. Verma.'' The principal later reportedly called Sonu to his office and struck his name off the school rolls.

Yesterday in the evening, according to Dinesh, Sonu and two other boys accosted him as he left the school premises. ``I was shoved violently from behind and then two boys caught hold of my arms. Sonu then came in front of me and accused me of being the one who got him expelled. He then stabbed me.''

Since the incident at 5 p.m., Sonu has been absconding. At his home, his mother Prabhavati, surrounded by relatives and neighbours, is barely able to speak. ``My son could never have done a thing like this,'' she says in a voice barely rising above a whisper, her face streaked with tears.

She says, pointing down the road where Dinesh and his family live: ``At least Dinesh's parents know where their son is. But here we have been in agony since the evening, not knowing what has happened to him. The last time we saw him was when he left for school.'' She accuses Dinesh's family of abducting him.

``His father has been out since 4 a.m. in the morning looking for him,'' says a relative. A case of attempt to murder has been registered at the R.K. Puram police station. Dinesh has named two other boys who were also reportedly with Sonu when the stabbing occurred. Police say they are investigating the case further.