Ahmedabad, Nov 4 — A 40-year-old labourer from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly strangled to death by his co-worker following a dispute over a demand for "unnatural sex" at a brick kiln in Gujarat's Ahmedabad district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Bholeram Chauhan, a native of Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by Dholka Rural police on November 3.
The deceased, Pawan Kumar alias Commander, was from Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh and had travelled to Gujarat with other labourers to work at the brick kiln.
The incident took place between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 1 near a canal on the outskirts of Mandanpura village in Dholka taluka.
According to police, the two labourers had left the kiln during dinner, saying they were going to fetch something, but did not return for a long time. The labourers' supervisor subsequently went looking for them.
While heading towards the canal, he encountered Bholeram coming from the opposite direction. During questioning, the accused allegedly told him that Pawan Kumar had demanded unnatural sex, leading to an argument and a physical altercation between the two.
Bholeram allegedly strangled Pawan Kumar using the belt of his trousers. The supervisor took the accused towards the canal, where Pawan Kumar's body was found near the boundary of an agricultural field.
He subsequently brought Bholeram back to the brick kiln and informed the owner, who alerted the police. Pawan Kumar had arrived at the brick kiln with other workers on the afternoon of November 1.
The group had spent the afternoon constructing a room for their accommodation. "The workers were preparing to have dinner when Pawan Kumar and Bholeram left the premises," officials said.
The deceased's elder brother lodged a complaint at Dholka Rural Police Station on November 2, following which a murder case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
An official told IANS, "During questioning on November 3, Bholeram confessed to the crime. He was arrested at 5:30 p.m., and police initiated the process to seek his remand."
The body was sent to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Further investigation is underway.