4 held in Gurugram for injuring liquor vend salesmen over pricing

The suspects hail from Hailey Mandi, and are aged between 20 and 24. They were arrested on Sunday night, officers said

At least four people have been arrested and eight others are absconding after they allegedly barged into a liquor store at Shreeram Chowk at Hailey Mandi in Pataudi, Haryana, and left two salesmen badly injured over a dispute over price that occurred on Friday night, police said on Monday.

The suspects badly assaulted the two salesmen and ransacked the entire store before fleeing, said investigators. (File Photo)

The victim salesmen sustained severe brain injuries and received 55 stitches on heads and other body parts for the deep cut wounds, said Kaushal Dagar, the liquor shop owner.

The suspects -- Pankaj Kumar alias Cheekla, Sunny Kumar, Shiv Kumar and Romi, all hail from Hailey Mandi, and are aged between 20 and 24. They were arrested on Sunday night, officers said.

Pankaj is the prime suspect who got into a dispute with the two salesmen -- Raju Paswan, 24, native of Bihar, and Rakesh Kumar, 22, of Ghazipur (UP) -- on Friday night and the quarrel causing injuries took place on Saturday night. The salesmen sustained severe head injuries and deep cut wounds after being attacked with sharp-edged weapons by Pankaj and his 10-12 associates. The victims are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Rewari, they added.

According to Sandeep Kumar, public relations officer, Gurugram police, Pankaj had visited the shop to buy a liquor bottle on Friday night.

“The salesmen asked him to pay ₹110. But Pankaj insisted on paying only ₹100. A heated argument took place. The suspect returned and shared this incident with his associates and planned a revenge,” he said, adding that around 9.30pm on Saturday, Pankaj and his aides armed with rods and sharp-edged weapons arrived at the store on motorbikes and barged inside.

The suspects badly assaulted the two salesmen and ransacked the entire store before fleeing, said investigators.

Manager Monu, who escaped with bruises, alerted the owner (Dagar) who reached the spot and rushed the duo to different hospitals including the civil hospital in Sector-10 before finally taking them to Rewari for brain injuries.

On Dagar’s complaint, a first information report was registered against the suspects under sections 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1)( voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons ), 121(1) (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 122(1) (voluntarily causing hurt on provocation), 333 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation ) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Pataudi police station on Sunday.