Blinkit delivery dispute turns violent in Bengaluru; customer suffers nasal fracture

A late-night food delivery dispute in Bengaluru turned violent, resulting in a customer suffering a fractured nose.

Bengaluru: A dispute over the delivery location of a food order allegedly turned violent , leaving a 27-year-old private company employee with a fractured nose. The incident occurred on March 7 late night in the jurisdiction of the Koramangala Police Station in Angalamma Layout.

An altercation broke out in Bengaluru between a Blinkit delivery worker and a customer over a location mix-up. (X)

The victim, Paul J. Vithayathi, a resident of 8th Block in Koramangala and originally from Kerala, had placed a food order through the quick-commerce platform Blinkit. According to the complaint, the delivery agent had called the customer and informed him that he was on the way to deliver the order.

However, instead of reaching the second-floor apartment where the customer lived, the delivery agent reportedly went to the fourth floor of the building. When Vithayathi contacted the delivery executive and asked him to come to the correct floor, an argument allegedly broke out between the two.

According to the complaint filed with the police, the delivery agent later arrived at the flat and began arguing with the customer. The dispute soon escalated into a physical altercation.

“The delivery agent started shouting and abusing me in Tamil. Within moments the argument turned violent and he assaulted me,” the victim alleged in his statement to the police. During the assault, Vithayathi sustained severe injuries to his nose and lips and began bleeding heavily. Doctors later confirmed that the attack had caused a fracture to his nasal bone.

“The medical examination revealed that the victim suffered a nasal bone fracture due to the assault,” Koramangala police inspector SLR Reddy told HT.

“Initially, we had registered a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) regarding the complaint. However, after further review, an FIR was registered on Tuesday under BNS Sections 117 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (obstructing person to move). We formed a team to nab the accused as his mobile went switched off,” he added. Following the incident, the victim’s relative posted about the assault on social media platform X, tagging Blinkit and seeking action against the delivery agent.

Responding to the post, the company issued a statement saying, “We are deeply concerned to hear about this incident. We want to assure you that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour. The matter is being investigated on priority and we will share an update soon.”

Police said the accused delivery agent, identified as Joseph, is currently absconding. Officers are analysing CCTV footage from the apartment complex and nearby areas to trace the suspect.