PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Police arrested a Chamoli native Ajay Kishore Devli (34) in connection with the death of a Delhi native Arun Kumar (45), which occurred under suspicious circumstances in the Premnagar area of Dehradun late on Monday. According to Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh, Kumar, who had been living in a rented room in Smriti Vihar near Mohanpur power house for several years, stepped out of a barber shop in Smithnagar when he encountered the accused. According to the locals, an argument began, which escalated into a physical altercation. During the scuffle, Kumar’s nose started bleeding and he collapsed face-down on the road, losing consciousness. “Locals informed Premnagar police, who reached the spot and sent him to the hospital. Doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police took Kumar’s body into custody and sent it for post-mortem examination. The accused had also left the scene. Police registered a case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on a written complaint from Kumar’s wife. A field unit examined the scene and collected evidence. Officers also recorded statements from local residents and shopkeepers present in the area at the time of the incident,” he said. Singh said that Kumar had an earlier criminal history and a case of attempted murder was registered against him at Premnagar police station in 2022. He had reportedly been released on bail about two months ago. During the investigation on Tuesday, police detained Devli as a suspect and questioned him. Devli, originally from Chamoli district and currently living on rent in Shyampur area of Premnagar, admitted that there was an ongoing dispute between him and Kumar due to a previous fight but he did not intend to kill him in any way. Singh said that after reviewing the statements and evidence, police arrested him on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He stated that the cause of death will be confirmed after the police get the postmortem report. Further investigation is in progress and additional action will be taken based on the findings, the SSP added.
