MOSCOW, December 17 (RIA Novosti) – A teenager named as a wrestling champion is being investigated over the death of a masseur following a fight outside a Russian nightclub.
Zurab Davitadze hit the 32-year-old man several times outside the “Truth” club in the city of Ufa in Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan, regional investigators said Tuesday in a statement.
The man had been celebrating his wife’s name day and their 10-year relationship on the night the fight took place, on December 1. He was taken to hospital, where he died two weeks later.
Police said that Davitadze, 18, was a sports culture student at a technical college. The Russian tabloid LifeNews reported that he was also a champion of Greco-Roman wrestling and was a member of the Russian national team.
In an interview with the tabloid, which identified the victim as Rustem Bagautdinov, Davitadze acknowledged that a fight took place and expressed remorse. But he insisted that he was not responsible for the death of the victim.
“If I could, I would apologize before his nearest and dearest. Seriously, I did not strike the fatal blow,” the tabloid quoted Davitadze as saying.
A 25-year-old friend of the victim told investigators that he had also been injured in the fight.
Investigators have opened a criminal case against Davitadze of intentionally inflicting moderate bodily harm. Charges could be upgraded in the case as the investigation continues.
