LONDON: Five children have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of an 80-year-old British Indian man from Punjab who was attacked in a park in Leicester.
Bhim Sen Kohli was walking his dog near the entrance of Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, near Leicester, at 6.30pm on Sunday when he was seriously assaulted by a group of young people. They left the scene prior to emergency services arriving.
Kohli died on Monday night in hospital due to injuries sustained in the attack.
Officers have arrested five minors – a boy and a girl aged 14 and one boy and two girls aged 12 on suspicion of murder.
The grandfather of two leaves a wife, two sons, Baul and Varinder, and a daughter, Susan.
He had previously made complaints to police about anti-social behaviour involving youths in the area but no action had been taken, police sources told the Daily Telegraph.
Leicestershire police said it was making a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
Deep Singh Kalia (70), who knew Kohli for over 30 years, told the Daily Telegraph: “He was such a lovely guy. It is a horrible shock. We were both originally from the Punjab in India. He loved his allotment, and loved his dog, and his family. He used to own a factory that made jumpers and cardigans. I don’t know why anyone would have wanted to do something like this to him. He was a very nice man who wouldn’t have done anything to provoke this.”
Harjinder, Kalia’s wife, added: “Bhim wouldn’t have harmed anyone.”