Hours after being booked in the case of assault on an African student, Romi Uppal, son of a Punjab superintendent of police, surrendered before the local police in Jalandhar on Saturday.
Romi is the son of Dharam Singh Uppal, SP, Nawanshahr.
Uppal, who surrendered himself at police station No 7, was immediately taken into custody, additional deputy commissioner of police, headquarters, Navjot Singh Mahal told Hindustan Times.
Asked why Uppal was booked so late, Mahal said the details of his cell phone pointed to his presence in the area of the crime that day.
"However, whether Uppal is involved in the assault is yet to be ascertained, as in his statement he claimed that he had arrived on the spot after the scuffle," Mahal said.
Police commissioner Gaurav Yadav, when contacted, also seconded the police claims.
Earlier, Uppal had only been a suspect in the case.
Nestor Ntibateganya, father of Yannick Nihangaza, had written to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, demanding justice for his son, following which deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal had told the police to get cracking.
Ntibateganya had alleged that more than three people were involved in the attack.
{{/usCountry}}Ntibateganya had alleged that more than three people were involved in the attack.
{{/usCountry}}Yannick, a student of B.Sc. computers at a private university near Jalandhar was brutally beaten up outside his rented accommodation in Dashmesh Nagar on the night of April 21, while he was celebrating the birthday of one of his fellow nationals.
Yannick has since been in coma and battling for life at a private hospital in Patiala.