Amitpal Singh Bajaj British Tourist choked to death while holidaying with his Singapore wife at Phuket, Thai hotel after confronting noisy Norwegian martial arts expert staying in the next room.
A British tourist staying at a Phuket, Thailand hotel has allegedly been choked to death after telling a fellow guest staying to keep the noise down.
Amitpal Singh Bajaj, 34, complained after hearing ‘rowdy’ noises coming from the room next door as the man and his Singapore born wife and their 20 month old child were trying to sleep.
The family who were on holiday – asked hotel staff to intervene after the noise continued for two hours in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Security guards visited the room of Roger Bullman, 53, from Norway, with the situation continuing to worsen as the Norwegian man proceeded singing on the balcony.
Bajaj deciding to take matters into his own hands then allegedly grabbed a steak knife from his room and decided to confront Bullman at 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to The Phuket News.
Bullman, who was drunk, allegedly refused to lower his voice while continuing to yell and sing, according to cops. He and Bajaj started quarreling, which escalated into the two men fighting.
The suspect told police that Bajaj first stabbed him in his left shoulder before he used his martial-art skills to grip the British man in a chokehold and continued choking him to death as Bajaj’s horrified wife is alleged to have looked on.
Bullman was arrested and taken to Karon police station that morning the Singapore Staits Times reported.
He told the police that he acted out instinctively and was not intentionally trying to kill Bajaj.
Norwegian martial arts expert released on bail of US$6,500:
Police Major Ekkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police said that the Norwegian has been charged for ‘causing harm resulting in death.’
‘Mr. Bullman was drunk and causing so much noise that hotel security came to warn Mr. Bullman twice,’ the police chief said. ‘Mr. Bajaj carried a steak knife into Mr. Bullman’s room. They started fighting, and Mr. Bajaj stabbed Mr. Bullman in left shoulder.’
The chief added that ‘Bullman has been released on bail by the Phuket Provincial Court. He now must remain in Thailand until the charge against has been heard in court. Meanwhile, British consular officials are in contact with Mr. Bajaj’s family and already inform them about his tragic death.’
The victim’s Singapore wife has since challenged the course of events, insisting her husband had never gone to the Norwegian’s room nor used a knife- saying instead it was Bullman who barged into their room, charging towards her husband, kicking and punching him, before choking him to death.
The woman claimed running away with the couple’s 2 year old son, only to find out some hours later that her British husband had passed away at hospital earlier that morning.
The Norwegian, who is out on bail set at about S$9,000 (US$6,500), is required to remain in Thailand until the charge is heard in court, Phuket News reported.
