London: A 14-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of the murder of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli, who died following an assault while out walking his dog in a park near Leicester, remains in police custody for questioning on Wednesday. Leicestershire Police said a girl aged 14 and a boy and two girls aged 12, also arrested on suspicion of murder, have now been released with no further action.
A post-mortem examination carried out on Kohli after he died in hospital on Monday night confirmed the cause of death was a neck injury, with further tests pending. “The circumstances surrounding Mr Kohli’s death are extremely tragic and upsetting not only for his family and friends but also the wider community,” said Detective Inspector Emma Matts, Senior Investigating Officer at Leicestershire Police.
“We continue to offer support to the family through our family liaison officers and the local policing teams are in the area to provide reassurance and discuss any issues or concerns. The family are aware of the significant public interest in the death of their loved one and would like to thank people for their kind words and sympathy. At this stage the family are asking for privacy at this extremely difficult time,” she said.
Investigation on
“Our investigation into the assault on Mr Kohli remains ongoing. We continue to keep an open mind around the circumstances surrounding the incident as we work to establish what occurred in the park on Sunday evening. I would continue to urge anyone who can assist our investigation to come forward,” she added.
Kohli was walking his dog at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire when he was attacked on Sunday and died in hospital a day later. The police force admitted “prior police contact with the victim”, which initially led to a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) and has been escalated to mandatory referral after further contact with the authority.
“We can confirm that we have received a referral from Leicestershire Police in relation to this matter. We will carry out an assessment to decide what further action may be required from us,” an IOPC spokesperson said.
What happened?
In July, an incident was reported to police after Kohli was allegedly verbally abused by a group of young people near his home, according to the ‘Guardian’ newspaper. Dressed in a black sweater and grey jogging bottoms, Kohli was walking his family dog on Sunday evening when he was “seriously assaulted by a group of young people”. They are said to have fled the scene prior to emergency services arriving.
Described by friends and neighbours as a retired fit and active man, Kohli is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. The police cordon for “scene preservation” in the park has since been lifted. St Crispin’s Church near the scene of the assault is offering the community a space to light a candle in memory of the elderly victim.
(With inputs from agency)
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