Greater Noida Man Dies After Drinking With Friends On Holi, 2 Arrested

Two men were arrested Thursday for allegedly killing a 24-year-old man, who was suspected to have died under the influence of alcohol on Holi in Greater Noida, police said.

The men were arrested after the family of the dead expressed suspicion that they could be responsible for the death, they said.

The exact cause of the death could not be ascertained even after post mortem, a senior officer said.

Manish Sharma was at his home in the Dankaur area on Wednesday when his friends, Salman and Rashid, called him outside for Holi celebration. The three left around 1.30 pm but later in the evening Sharma's family was informed of his death, the officer said.

"On Wednesday, Happy Sharma, the cousin of the deceased, submitted a written application, alleging that Salman and Rashid called his brother out of home, took him away and killed him. An FIR was immediately lodged in the case under IPC section 302 (murder) and the body was sent for post mortem," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Ashok Kumar said.

Salman and Rashid were arrested on Thursday, Kumar said, adding that the three friends were found drunk when Manish was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

"The exact cause of death could not be ascertained even after post mortem. The viscera has been preserved and will be sent for chemical analysis after which the cause of death would be clear. All three were heavily intoxicated on Wednesday, this is clear," Mr Kumar told PTI.

According to another police officer, Rashid and Salman were witnessed carrying an unconscious Sharma on their motorcycle through a desolate stretch by some locals who found it suspicious and reported it to police.

The motorcycle was on a slope when it lost balance and all three fell down, this is when some locals reached there and handed them over to the police, who took Sharma to GIMS hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, the officer added.

Sharma earlier worked as private security staff at a hospital in Noida, while Salman and Rashid have criminal history, according to the police.

Salman has four FIRs to his name including those on charges of liquor trafficking, illegal arms possession, while Rashid has been booked once in a dowry-related case, police added.

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