New Delhi: The fifth and last suspect in the case relating to the murder of a 29-year-old Manipuri youth was arrested last night from Garhi area here, police said. Lokesh (25), also a resident of Garhi village, had been absconding after the other four suspects were arrested, a senior police official said.
The victim Akha Salouni was allegedly beaten to death by a group of five men in a suspected case of road rage in Kotla Mubarakpur in the wee hours of July 21.
He was returning to his Munirka flat after a party. The incident had triggered widespread anger among North East community here.
Three suspects in the case—Sanjay Basoya (24), his cousin Shakti Basoya and Rajiv (25) were arrested from Garhi area on July 21, while the fourth suspect Azad Choudhary (24), a driver by profession and a resident of Garhi Village, was arrested yesterday.
Amit Gupta, spokesperson in AIIMS had said Salouni's autopsy report suggested that death was caused due to multiple internal injuries in the neck, abdomen and brain caused by blunt force.
A Delhi court had remanded Shakti, Sanjay and Rajiv in police custody till July 24 while Azad was remanded today in one-day police custody.
Police said the incident had taken place at around 3 AM when the deceased, along with two friends, Dihe Kazhiihrii (25), who is also a resident of Manipur and Nagendra Sharma (40), a resident of Bihar, were returning after attending a party at their friend's place at Masoodpur Colony.
Following the party, they had hired an auto to drop Kazhiihrii at his home at Kotla Mubarakpur. When the auto reached near Gurudwara road, a car arrived from behind and started honking indiscriminately, police said.
The car occupants abused the auto driver, following which an argument ensued between Salouni and his friends and the five youths.
The argument soon turned ugly following which five youths, all of whom were apparently in an inebriated state, alighted from the car and attacked the three.
While Kazhiihrii and Sharma managed to flee, Salouni was caught by them, police had said.
Kazhiihrii called the police around 3:30 AM, after which a police team reached the spot and rushed Salouni, who was unconscious, to AIIMS trauma centre where doctors declared him brought dead.
