Ahmedabad: A 25-year-old civil engineer was arrested for allegedly killing a 52-year-old car cleaner in Samrajya Flats at Memnagar after objecting to the victim bathing in the open, police said.According to police, the accused, identified as Rutvik Jaymalani, had frequent arguments with the victim, Kanji Chauhan, over the issue. Chauhan, who had no home and lived in the apartment building’s parking area, used to bathe in the open. H M Kansagra, ACP, B Division, said Chauhan was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood during the early hours of Wednesday after a security guard spotted him and alerted police and the 108 ambulance service. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene. Police then launched a murder investigation and called in forensic experts and a dog squad. Kansagra said the sniffer dog stopped outside Jaymalani’s residence and barked continuously at his door. Investigators also examined CCTV footage and found Jaymalani moving near the parking area where Chauhan was staying. During questioning, Jaymalani allegedly confessed to attacking Chauhan with a pestle, repeatedly striking him on the head until he lost consciousness, police said. Kansagra said Jaymalani told police he was upset with Chauhan’s habit of bathing in the open and claimed it caused discomfort to women in the area. Police said Jaymalani had completed a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, had earlier worked with private firms, and had recently joined his father’s education consultancy business after his father lost his eyesight. Chauhan had worked in the same building as a liftman for around 30 years, police said. A native of Sanand, he was unmarried and had no immediate family members. His body was claimed by a distant relative. Ghatlodia police have registered a murder case against Jaymalani under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and started further investigation.
