In Noida TV anchor's death, police arrest colleague

Police has arrested a senior colleague of the news anchor who allegedly fell to death from a fourth-floor Noida flat last week, officials said Monday.

Rahul Awasthi was detained for questioning but arrested Sunday after investigators found his statements to be "inconsistent", police said.

Radhika Kaushik, who hailed from Rajasthan, was in her flat in the Antriksh Forest Apartments in Sector 77 with Awasthi when the incident happened around 3.30 AM on December 14, police said.

The 25-year-old anchor's family suspects foul play in her death and a murder case was registered at Sector 49 police station, Station House Officer Girija Shankar Tripathi said.

"Awasthi was detained and questioned but there were inconsistencies in his statements over the two days. He was arrested yesterday but charged under IPC 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder)," Tripathi said.

According to officials, the private security guards have told investigators that the duo was seen together in the balcony moments before Kaushik's body was found on the ground in a pool of blood.

"This is contradictory to what Awasthi had told the police initially that he had visited her for dinner and was in the bathroom when she accidentally toppled over the railing of the balcony of her flat," the officials said.

SHO Tripathi said the viscera of Kaushik would be sent for test Tuesday to ascertain if she was drunk, adding that liquor bottles were found in the flat.

Asked about suspected foul play in the case, he said "the benefit of doubt should be given to victim and not the accused (who has been arrested)".

"The railing in the balcony is of low-height, there were other strings also tied up in the balcony. The railing is cylindrical and not flat in shape, which apparently does not make it an ideal place for anyone to sit on. So we are probing the matter," the official said.