Leicestershire Police has detained 5 children on suspicion of murder. (Representational)
An 80-year-old Indian-origin man assaulted while walking his dog in a park in an eastern England town near the city of Leicester has died of the injuries, leading to the arrest of five children as the police launched a murder investigation on Tuesday.
The victim, named locally as Bhim Sen Kohli, was walking his dog at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town when he was attacked on Sunday and died in hospital on Monday night.
Leicestershire Police said following a number of enquiries, its officers have arrested a boy and a girl aged 14, and one boy and two girls aged 12 on suspicion of murder, and all five are currently being interviewed by police.
“Sadly, following the death of the victim last night, this has now become a murder investigation,” said Detective Inspector (DI) Emma Matts, Senior Investigating Officer at Leicestershire Police.
“Officers are continuing to work at speed to establish the details of the attack, and we have made a number of arrests as we continue to understand what has happened. We still need people who were in the area to come forward if they have seen anything or have any information which could assist,” she said.
According to the police, the victim -- wearing a black jumper and grey jogging bottoms -- was walking his dog when he was seriously assaulted by a group of young people. They left the scene before emergency services arrived.
“Were you in the area of Franklin Park or Bramble Way around 6.30 pm on Sunday night? Did you see the attack itself? From the description given, did you see the victim before the incident or possibly a group of young people leaving the area after? A scene preservation will remain in place at the park while our investigation progresses. Local officers are also in the area carrying out reassurance patrols and can speak to anyone in the local community who has concerns,” DI Matts added in her appeal for information.
The police force has also admitted “prior police contact with the victim”, which has led to a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC). Meanwhile, detectives are working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and speaking to residents in the area to gather as much information as possible.
“He had been taking the dog for a walk. He was about 30 seconds away from getting home when he was attacked. He was lying under the tree, and at first he was complaining about his neck,” Kohli's daughter was quoted by ‘Leicestershire Live' as saying.
“He's always been very active – he has three allotments. We've lived here for 40 years, and just recently, there's been a lot of anti-social behaviour, which has been reported to the police,” she said. Kohli, described by friends and neighbours as a retired, fit and active man, is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
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