Relatives of a pensioner who died after he was allegedly attacked while walking his dog in a park yards from his home in Leicester have said their “hearts have been completely broken” by the loss of a “loving, caring person whose life centred around his family”.
Bhim Kohli, 80, was attacked in Franklin Park close to his home in Braunstone Town on Sunday evening and died in hospital on Monday, police said.
Five children aged 12 to 14 were arrested in connection with the incident. On Tuesday night police said four had been released with no further action. A 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was charged on Wednesday night with murder and will appear at Leicester youth court on Thursday.
Kohli’s family said in a statement released via police: “Bhim was a loving husband, dad and grandad. He was also a son, brother and uncle. He adored his grandkids with all his heart and loved spending time with them. He really was such a loving, caring person whose life was centred around his family.
“He has always been a very hard-working man and even at the age of 80 he was still very active. One of his great passions was his allotment: he would go every day to tend to his plots and was so proud of them. He also enjoyed walking the family dog Rocky on the park many times a day.”
They continued: “Bhim loved to laugh. He was always very happy and talkative, the joker of the family, and always loved to outsmart us with a smile. Our family have lived in the same house in Braunstone for 40 years, so he was very well known in the community. We have been overwhelmed by the messages and support from many who knew him.
“Our hearts have been completely broken. We are now pulling together as a family to try and support each other through the most difficult time imaginable.”
Among his neighbours, Kohli was well regarded, described as a “lovely man” with a sense of humour and a ready smile. This quiet, suburban community south of the city centre was reeling from the incident.
“It makes no sense to me,” said Nigel Morris, 57, a friend of Kohli’s from the allotment. “It’s horrendous, it’s horrible. I don’t know what to say, I’m just shellshocked. It’s just awful.”
Some said they had noticed a steady uptick in antisocial behaviour locally, particularly over the past couple of years.
“We do have bad behaviour issues with kids,” said Vijay Chaganlal, who has run a local convenience shop for nine years. He said customers “feel intimidated when there are kids hanging around, and do say it’s scary when kids come in”. Often youths wore balaclavas, he added,
He said it had an impact on his business but he hadn’t contacted police for a number of years “because they don’t come. You don’t see them round here; we’ve just given up”.
Steve Betteridge, 54, who works in maintenance and lives near the park, said he “felt sick” upon hearing the news of the death.
“You do get a lot of kids round here,” he said. “A lot of them come from different parts of the area into the park.” He said he had seen police in the area “only since this has happened”. “I’m worried for everybody,” he said. “I take the dog at antisocial hours on the park. I’m not sure how safe I’d feel myself.”
Betteridge added: “The area seems to have changed a lot. Each couple of years it gets a bit worse, you see more kids.”
It is understood that at least two separate incidents of alleged antisocial behaviour on Kohli’s street had been reported to police in recent weeks.
In an incident in July, police were called after a group of youths allegedly spat and shouted racist abuse at Kohli. In light of to their prior contact, Leicestershire police have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In a second incident, in August, stones were allegedly thrown at another man of Asian ethnicity. One person who called the police at the time said she believed the incident was racially motivated.
Terry Richardson, the leader of Blaby district council, said: “We want to reassure the community that the safety and wellbeing of our residents remains our top priority. We are working with Braunstone town council and doing all we can to ensure our community feels secure during this difficult time.”
Following news that a 14-year-old had been charged with the murder of Mr Kohli, Andrew Baxter, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that the youth has a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
• This article was amended on 4 September 2024 to correct the spelling of Bhim Kohli’s surname.
