Shimla, June 13 – A 23-year-old Chandigarh resident was brutally murdered by his cousin at a hotel near Dhalli Tunnel in Shimla, police said on Friday. The accused, identified as Arjun Sharma of Sector 10, Panchkula, is currently absconding.
The victim, Akash Sharma, a resident of Sector 26, Chandigarh, had reportedly travelled to Shimla with Arjun on June 11 to celebrate a birthday. The two cousins checked into a hotel and stayed together for two days before a fatal altercation broke out on Thursday.
According to police, Arjun allegedly slit Akash’s throat and struck him on the head with a beer bottle during the quarrel. Akash died on the spot. The accused fled the hotel soon after.
At around 10 a.m. on Friday, the hotel staff received a phone call from an unidentified person requesting them to check the room, citing that both guests’ phones were switched off. Upon entering, staff discovered Akash’s lifeless body and alerted the Dhalli police station.
A police team rushed to the scene, secured evidence, and reviewed CCTV footage from the hotel. “A case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against the accused, who is currently on the run,” said Shimla ASP Rattan Negi.
Negi confirmed that preliminary investigation suggests Arjun confessed the crime to his family, one of whom then alerted the hotel. “We are pursuing all leads and efforts are underway to apprehend the accused,” he said.
Both Akash and Arjun were in their early twenties. The police have launched a manhunt and further investigation is in progress.
