Gurugram, May 21 (IANS): A 29-year-old bodybuilder was allegedly beaten to death with sticks during a fight while playing cards in Bandhwadi village of Gurugram, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Sandeep. The police have arrested five of his acquaintances in connection with the incident.

Those arrested have been identified as Dhanesh alias Major, Jagbir, Praveen, Sunni and Sukka.

The father of the deceased in his police complaint said last Monday Dhanesh alias Major had asked his son to come out of his house but Sandeep did not do so.

Thereafter, another man Jagbir came from Bandhwadi village on Wednesday night and took Sandeep to a plot owner Surajmal's room located in the Aravali area on the pretext of gambling.

"When Sandeep did not return home overnight, the family started looking for him. On getting some information from the neighbours, they reached Surajmal's room in the Aravali area on Thursday morning. A man named Praveen was found at the spot there. When he was asked about Sandeep, he ran away," the complainant told the police.

The family found Sandeep's body lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the room with injury marks.

Preliminary investigation suggested that all the accused, including the victim, were playing cards during which an altercation took place between them which led to the murder, the police said.

"A case of murder was registered against the culprits based on a complaint filed by the deceased's father at the DLF Phase-1 police station in Gurugram," said police Spokesperson Subhash Boken.