Businessman’s pistol ‘accidentally’ goes off at Starbucks in CP

Although there were around a dozen customers and staffers on the first floor of the coffee shop at that time, no one was hurt as the bullet hit one of the tables, police said.

A 61-year-old businessman’s pistol “accidentally” went off inside a Starbucks outlet in Connaught Place on Thursday afternoon, leading to the weapon owner’s arrest, police said.

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Although there were around a dozen customers and staffers on the first floor of the coffee shop at that time, no one was hurt as the bullet hit one of the tables, police said.

According to Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), the pistol was a .32 bore and its licence had expired months earlier. “The weapon owner, Anil Kumar, has been arrested and has been booked under the Arms Act and under the IPC for endangering the safety of others,” Verma said.

Kumar lives in Tagore Park in north Delhi’s Model Town and owns a factory that produces steel wires. He and his friends had walked into Starbucks café in Connaught Place Block N around 11am Thursday, police said.

“The pistol was not holstered. Kumar had just tucked it in his pant and covered it with his shirt. The mishap happened around 1pm while he and his friends were getting up to leave the café,” a police officer said.

“As he stood up, the pistol hit the hand rest of his chair and went off before falling to the floor. Kumar’s friend who was seated near him escaped as the bullet hit the leg of the centre table,” the officer said.

The firing resulted in a brief panic at the café even as its manager immediately dialled the police. “The café staff ensured that Anil did not leave the spot until we arrived,” the officer said. When the police arrived, they found an empty shell and five live bullets in the weapon.

“The weapon’s licence had expired on October 26 last year. The businessman told us that he hadn’t got the licence renewed. As he had violated the licence laws, we seized the weapon,” the DCP said, adding that the businessman was later granted bail.