Man Wanted in March Uttam Nagar Murder Arrested Near Palam Flyover
The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 23-year-old man from near the Palam flyover in connection with the murder of 26-year-old Tarun Butolia, who was killed in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar in March this year. The accused, identified as Sohail, a resident of JJ Colony in Uttam Nagar, was apprehended on the road leading from Palam towards Dabri at around 9:15 pm on August 8.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) HGS Dhaliwal stated that Sohail had been declared a proclaimed offender by a Dwarka court on July 31. He was wanted in the murder case registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police said Sohail was part of a mob that allegedly attacked Butolia with sticks, bats, and iron rods on March 4. The victim was rushed to a hospital following the assault, where he later died.
According to police, the fatal dispute began on March 4 during Holi when a minor from Butolia’s family was playing and a coloured water balloon fell on a woman, splashing her clothes. A charge sheet submitted by Delhi Police in May stated that caste-based abuse escalated the fight that ended in Butolia’s murder. Police had named 18 people as accused in the case, charging them with involvement in an unlawful assembly.
Officers involved in the arrest said Sohail fled Delhi after learning about Butolia’s death and moved between different locations to evade arrest. He recently returned to Delhi to meet his family and was planning to travel to Nepal when he was caught.
A Crime Branch team apprehended Sohail following a tip-off. His identity and involvement in the case were verified through records at the Uttam Nagar police station, leading to his formal arrest at around 11:20 pm on August 8.
During interrogation, Sohail allegedly told police that there had been previous disputes and enmity between his family and Butolia’s family. He admitted that on March 4, following a quarrel, he and others attacked Butolia and several other people with sticks and iron rods.
