New Delhi: More than six months after 26-year-old Tarun Butolia was beaten to death by a mob over a minor Holi-related dispute in southwest Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, Delhi Police crime branch has arrested a proclaimed offender who had been evading arrest since the incident.The accused, identified as 23-year-old Sohail, was apprehended near Palam Flyover on Aug 8 after police received specific intelligence that he had returned to Delhi and was allegedly planning to flee to Nepal. Special Commissioner of Police (crime) HGS Dhaliwal said, “Sohail had been declared a proclaimed offender by a Dwarka court on July 31 in connection with the murder case.”Tarun was murdered on March 4 after a minor dispute over a water balloon dropped during Holi celebrations near his residence in Uttam Nagar. An argument broke out after the incident. Despite Tarun’s family apologising, a group allegedly armed with sticks, iron rods and wooden batons later attacked him as he was returning home. He sustained severe head injuries and succumbed to them.The incident had sparked outrage and tension in the locality. Cops had earlier arrested 14 accused and apprehended two juveniles in connection with the case.During interrogation, Sohail told investigators that there had been previous enmity between his family and that of the deceased. He disclosed that after learning of Tarun’s death, he fled Delhi and remained in hiding at various locations, including Jaipur, to evade arrest. He had returned to meet his family and was planning to flee towards Nepal when he was caught.
