Two groups clash, vandalise eatery in Greater Noida, 12 held

Police on Friday night arrested 12 persons for allegedly vandalising a restaurant in Sector Alpha 2, after two groups clashed over some petty issue outside the eatery

Police on Friday night arrested 12 persons for allegedly vandalising a restaurant in Sector Alpha 2, after two groups clashed over some petty issue outside the eatery.

The suspects in police custody on Saturday. (Sourced)

Anil Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Sector Beta 2 police station, said the incident took place at Godavari Abhiruchi restaurant around 8pm. “Saurabh Saini, 24, and Tinku Solanki, 23, were standing outside the restaurant when someone threw a water bottle that hit one of them,” he said.

Police said that Saini and Solanki started arguing with another group – Shashank, 22, Kamal, 23, and their friends who were standing at the restaurant’s gate -- accusing them of throwing the water bottle. Both the groups entered in a brawl, police said, adding that Shashak and his friends soon left the place.

The SHO said that Saini and Solanki later returned to the spot with around 10 men and barged into the restaurant and vandalised it. “They damaged the furniture of the restaurant and also overturned the food trays. They believed that the restaurant staff connived with the suspects who had thrown the water bottles at them,” Kumar said.

Mangli Krishna Kishore, 23, owner of the restaurant , said that his staff had no connection with the brawl. “Nobody from the two groups were inside the restaurant. We do not know who threw the bottle. We informed police and a team reached the spot. But all the suspects had fled the spot by that time,” Kishore said.

Kishore said he suffered a loss of ₹1.5 lakh due to the brawl.

Police scanned CCTV footage and found some men engaged in a clash and then in the act of vandalism. “We arrested Shashank and Kamal from one group. They claimed that they were just standing near the restaurant and someone else had thrown the bottle. We also arrested 10 persons from other group, including Saini and Solanki,” the SHO said.

A case was registered against the suspects under sections 147 (rioting), 427 (mischief causing damage), and 151 (knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons) of the Indian Penal Code. “The suspects were produced in court that sent them to judicial custody,” said the officer.