Theatre manager dies after being beaten by customer over parking fee in Telangana

The manager was a cardiac patient and could not withstand beating at the hands of a drunk and furious customer.

A 68-year old manager of a theatre was killed, when a customer repeatedly punched him during an argument over increase of parking fee by ₹10 at Telangana’s Vikarabad town, 76 km west of Hyderabad late Sunday night.

An argument over a hike in parking fees cost the theatre manager his life. (Shutterstock)

The deceased was identified as Y Raghavendra Rao, a resident of Alampally village in Vikarabad district. The body was handed over to his family on Monday night after post mortem. Based on a complaint from the theatre staff, Vikarabad police registered a case against the accused Rajavardhan Reddy, a local contractor from Motibagh Colony in the town, under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Vikarabad police inspector M Venkata Ramaiah said Reddy was taken into custody for interrogation and collection of evidence.

The police said the incident happened at around 10 pm, when the last show of a recently released Telugu film was to be screened at Cinemax Theatre. Rajavardhan Reddy, who was allegedly drunk, entered into argument with the parking lot attendants when they asked him to pay ₹30 as parking fee for his car.

“But Reddy continued to argue with the manager and in a fit of anger he rained blows on his chest, face and stomach. Rao collapsed on the spot and he was immediately shifted to the government hospital, Vikarabad where he died a few minutes later due to severe chest pain,” inspector Ramaiah said.

Rao was a cardiac patient and he could not withstand the punches by Reddy, a hefty and tall man, the theatre employees told the police.