Inquest Commences for Man Who Died After Park Attack

An official inquiry has commenced into the death of an 80-year-old man who passed away after being assaulted in a park. Bhim Kohli died on 2 September, the day after he was attacked at Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, while walking his dog, Rocky. Area coroner Ivan Cartwright initiated the proceedings at Leicester Coroner’s Court on Thursday and extended his condolences to Mr Kohli’s family, who were in attendance. A 15-year-old boy, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, has been charged with murder. He is scheduled to appear in court again on 18 December, with a provisional trial start date set for 17 February. Mr Cartwright informed the hearing that although a preliminary cause of death was identified as serious neck injuries—following a post-mortem examination conducted on 3 September—a definitive cause of death has yet to be determined. The coroner stated that he was obligated to suspend the inquest until the conclusion of the ongoing criminal proceedings. In a statement previously released by police, Mr Kohli’s family expressed: “Bhim was a loving husband, dad and grandad. He was also a son, brother and uncle.” They added: “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.” Due to prior police contact involving Mr Kohli, Leicestershire Police indicated it had made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC). This referral subsequently became mandatory after further communication with the watchdog.