RAJKOT: The death of a a 21-year-old man, whose father said had occured due to fall from the terrace, has turned out to be murder executed in a fit of rage after a fight between the two over the victim’s constant demand for money to meet his drug addiction.
The victim, Gopal Gamara, who was addicted to ganja, was allegedly clubbed to death by his father Rupa on November 3 in Saklasar village of Bhavnagar’s Talaja taluka. Rupa even performed his last rites the same day and told relatives and villagers that Gopal had fallen to death from the terrace of their house.
A villager, however, called up the police and told them that Gopal had actually been murdered. “We summoned Rupa and he broke down during questioning,” said an official from Talaja police station.
Gopal was severely addicted to marijuana for the past two years. He used to often suffer withdrawal symptoms and pick up fights with people in the village. Sometimes he even turned violent, said police.
At around 5am on November 3, Rupa returned from a religious function at a village temple and was milking his cow. Gopal picked up a fight with him saying that he did not give him enough pocket money.
“When the argument escalated, Gopal picked up a bat and ran after Rupa to attack him. Rupa, however, snatched the bat from his hand and hit him on his head. The blow proved fatal. Gopal collapsed and died on the spot. Rupa then laid Gopal’s body on a cot and left home for cattle grazing,” said the official.
When other family members tried waking him up, they saw that the blanket in which his body was wrapped was blood soaked. Soon, Gopal’s younger brother Govind left home in search of Rupa. On coming home, Rupa told his family and the villagers that Gopal had fallen from the terrace and suffered fatal head injury.
Rupa will be arrested after the mandatory Covid-19 test.