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A criminal case has been opened in connection with murders of three men in ‘Tak Jur’ recreation zone in Hankavan resort town of Armenia’s Kotayk province, according to the press service of Investigative Committee of Armenia. A criminal case was opened under the Criminal Code’s Article 104 part 2 point 1 -  murder of two or more people, and Article 235 part 1 – illegal purchase, sale and possession of arms and ammunition. A decision to set up an investigative group was taken on the same day. Several circumstances of the murders have been revealed.

Information was received on November 16 that the bodies of two men were taken to Hrazdan Medical Center, and the body of a third man was found in Tak Jur recreation zone in Hankavan. A group of investigators were sent to the scene. The identities of the men were established – brothers Vardan and Vahe Galstyans and their friend Armen Hovhannisyan.

“As a result of coordinated investigative and operational search actions, the motive for the crime and the identity of the supposed criminal were established. The crime weapon – a submachine gun - and a car used by the supposed criminal during the incident were found,” Investigative Committee said in a statement.    

Pastinfo news agency reported that one of the murdered brothers – Vardan Galstyan was the owner of ‘Ararat’ camp, while the suspect is Hayrapet Sepoyan, the son of a forester. According to the news agency, “prior to the murders there was an argument between Galstyans and the forester over tree felling in the camp”. “The Galstyan brothers beat up the forester whose son in fact took revenge on his father’s offenders after the incident,” the agency wrote.