Drummer Beaten to Death, Multiple Suspects Arrested

A street dispute has left one man dead and multiple people in police custody. According to a Wednesday report for The Free Press Journal, which is an English-language publication based in India, a 26-year-old drummer named Lakshman was brutally murdered in the Dharnaka area of Indore, India. Lakshman, a dholak player, was allegedly drunk and soon became involved in arguments with several people in the area. He also allegedly hit people with a stick and “damaged an auto-rickshaw.”

Five men apparently confronted Lakshman about his behavior, but they took their vengeance too far. The group — which allegedly included men named Nikhil Bahadur, Aman Bahadur, Narendra, Raja and Deepak — are said to have “thrashed him badly” leaving him “critically injured.” Lakshman was taken to a hospital where he died while receiving medical treatment. Per Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shashikant Kankane, local authorities then opened a  murder investigation.

Witnesses apparently filmed the men’s attack on Lakshman, and police used the footage to identify the listed suspects. As of The Free Press Journal’s report, the five men were being questioned. Lakshman’s family was notified of his passing and has been in contact with police about the murder investigation. The family is said to have pushed for “strict action against the accused.” No further updates on the case have surfaced as of press time.

This beating brings to mind a similar incident stateside in which a man attacked a drummer with an ax. Back on April 2, an ax-wielding man later identified as Timothy Jones went after drummer Andy Torres in a Los Angeles park. Luckily, Torres survived the encounter and caught the attack — which left his drums destroyed — on video. Jones soon turned himself in to police.