Friends of a ‘gentle’ 80-year-old man who died after being allegedly ‘kicked by a group of children’ have revealed how he won awards for his ‘beautiful allotment’.
Bhim Sen Kohli was walking his dog in Franklin Park, on the outskirts of Leicester, on Sunday evening when he was ‘seriously assaulted’ by a ‘group of youths’.
The grandfather was discovered by his daughter lying under a tree and, despite being raced to hospital, Mr Kohli died the following day as a result of a neck injury, post-mortem results revealed.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder and is due to appear in court later today.
Friends of Mr Kohli remarked about his fondness for his award winning allotment, which was just metres from his home in Braunstone Town.
One fellow gardener, who didn’t want to be named, told The Times: ‘His plots were very, very, very neat and everything was healthy. Onions, carrots, beetroot, herbs, he grew virtually everything.
‘It won quite a few prizes. He won an internal one in our allotment society and there’s the Leicestershire allotment society. Over the years he’s won two of them.’
Undated family handout photo issued by Leicestershire Police of Bhim Kohli
Bhim Sen Kohli, 80, (pictured with his wife Satinder) was ‘seriously’ assaulted by a ‘group of youths’ while walking his dog in Franklin Park at around 6.30pm on Sunday
The scene at Franklin Park, on Tuesday where Bhim Sen Kohli was ‘seriously’ assaulted while walking his dog in Franklin Park at around 6.30pm on Sunday
Mr Kohli’s wife, 73-year-old Satinder, was seen laying flowers at a memorial near where he died on Wednesday
She was seen with Rocky, the dog Mr Kohli was walking when he died (pictured)
Floral tributes have been left in the park close to where he died. One reads ‘To Bhim’s family – sorry for your loss’
Nigel Morris, 57, has known Mr Kohli for 15 years and owns an adjoining plot next to the three owned by the 80-year-old.
He said: ‘He was there on the allotment every single say , usually with Satinder, his wife. He would come in the morning, go home for lunch, as he lived so close, then return in the afternoon.’
Mr Morries earlier paid an emotional tribute to Mr Kohli who ‘always had a smile’ and was ‘just a genuinely nice guy,’
He told BBC News: ‘I don’t understand any of this. He was a proper gent. I’m just sick – I feel quite sick about the whole thing.’
Kerry Haldane, another grower at the allotment who knew Mr Kohli, said she would often swap different vegetables with the grandfather.
Mr Kohli was a retired factory owner and leaves behind his devastated wife, three children and two grandchildren.
Another friend, 55-year-old Graham Haldane, told the Telegraph that Mr Kohli had had some trouble with some kids on his allotment a few months ago.
‘He was a lovely guy but was getting very frail. He had osteoporosis and could hardly move his neck,’ he said.
‘He had three plots at the allotments and worked on them all year round. He had some bother a few months back with some kids who had climbed onto the flat garage roof opposite.
‘He challenged them and they dished out some abuse and spat at him. He rang the police about it but it took them three days to come round and take a statement.’
Mr Kohli’s 1970s semi is the second to last house before the park entrance, just yards from where he was attacked
Police officers on Tuesday were pictured entering and leaving the area of the park in which the alleged attack occurred
Forensic investigators were seen at the crime scene in Braunstone Town on Tuesday
Neighbours and others living in the area said they had called the police in the last two or three months over gangs of youths abusing Asian residents and reported seeing them kicking cans and climbing on bungalow roofs.
Vijay Chaganlal has run a local convenience shop in the area for nine years. He admitted that some of his customers ‘felt intimidated’ by the children, who often wear balaclavas and stand around his shop shouting abuse at people.
He added that some youths also climb on a nearby phone booth and bus stop and try to smash the glass. that some them.
One neighbour, who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisals, said: ‘Over the last two or three months there has been a group of youngsters, shouting and abusing Asian people.
‘I have seen it, I haven’t been always able to hear exactly what they are saying but it is clear what they are doing. The police have been called. It is awful. I don’t know why the are like this, you have to question the way they have been raised.’
Another neighbour, 50-year-old Frank Owen, said: ‘It’s only the last few weeks we’ve had this trouble with a bunch of kids. They’ve been playing up late at night. I’ve heard they were on a bungalow.
‘It’s a cul de sac so unless you are coming here for a reason there is not much point unless you are going to the park.’
Another one of Mr Kohli’s neighbours, Harjinder Kalia, 53, said: ‘I’ve lived here for 35 years, he was a nice person, he was always joking, to everyone not just with us, everybody.
She added: ‘There is no reason why anyone would do this. Sometimes children would fight with each other in the park.’
Mr Kohli was walking his dog, Rocky (pictured), in the park when the alleged attack happened
The alleged attack happened on Sunday night leaving Mr Kohli with severe injuries, before he sadly died on Monday
A police cordon remained in place at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town on Tuesday
Mr Kohli was a retired factory owner and leaves behind his devastated wife, three children and two grandchildren. Pictured: police cars outside the park entrance
Deep Singh Kalia, 70, a long-time friend and neighbour of Mr Kohli told the Sun: ‘He was such a lovely guy. It is a horrible shock. I would meet up with him every day. We were both originally from the Punjab in India.
‘He loved his allotment, and loved his dog, and loved his family. He used to own a factory that made jumpers and cardigans.’
Mourners have been laying flowers near to where Mr Kohli died to pay tribute to the ‘caring’ father of three.
Mr Kohli’s wife, 73-year-old Satinder, was yesterday seen laying flowers at the memorial along with friends, family and Rocky, the dog he was walking when he was attacked.
His family yesterday released a touching tribute to the ‘joker of the family’, adding that their ‘hearts have been completely broken’ following his death.
They said: ‘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 hardworking 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.
‘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.
One woman stopped to lay flowers close to the park on Tuesday afternoon after the incident shook the local community
Flowers have been laid in memory of the late dog walker
‘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 and would ask for privacy while we do this.’
On Tuesday Leicestershire Police, the force investigating the tragic death, said that five children, a boy and a girl aged 14 and two girls and one boy aged 12, were being questioned over Mr Kohli’s death.
They later said that all but the 14-year-old boy had been released without charge.
The force has reported itself to the police watchdog due to previous contact with the victim.