A DAY after an 18-year-old youth died after allegedly consuming Tadi (palm wine) at Ichhapore in Surat on Thursday, the police arrested his friend, who they claimed “strangulated the victim to death” and tried to mislead investigators. According to sources, 18-year-old Rahul Rathod and his friend Akash Rathod (19) – both residents of Ichhapore’s Bombay Colony – on Thursday consumed a palm wine drink illegally sold in their locality. Rahul soon fell ill and Akash took him to the New Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him “dead on arrival”. Akash initially claimed to Rahul’s family members that they had “consumed tadi from a house at Ichhapore and that Rahul lost consciousness when they were travelling on a bike soon after. On the basis of this, the police first registered a complaint of accidental death. On Friday, a team of Icchapore Police reached the house where tadi was being sold. They seized pouches and small bottles filled with tadi as well as other chemical substances. Police booked the house owner – Sedulu Papaya Rena – and his wife Laxmi for illegally selling palm wine under the Prohibition Act. The couple has been on the run since the incident. On Friday afternoon, an autopsy was conducted at New Civil Hospital. According to the police, the primary report says the cause of death is strangulation, as there were finger marks around his neck, and the windpipe was choked. On being questioned, Akash admitted to having had an argument with Rahul over a petty issue, and he later strangled him. Police then invoked murder charges against Akash and arrested him on Friday evening. Surat Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 7, Shefali Barwal, said, “Earlier, we registered the accidental death of Rahul Rathod, and later, after the autopsy report, we registered a murder offence. There was an argument between Rahul and Akash, after the former had made some remarks on social media. The heated exchange resulted in a brawl between them, leading to Rahul’s death.
