3 held for killing dhaba owner

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 27

Three persons have been arrested today with regard to the killing of a dhaba owner last evening at Sanwara.

Dhabha owner Paramjeet Singh was killed and his worker Hussandeep was injured when a tourist family hailing from Noida entered into an altercation with them over “poor quality” of food being served to them at Sanwara on the Parwanoo-Solan stretch of the NH-22 yesterday.

Those who have been arrested are Deshpal, Nikhil and his mother Rajesh, all of them hailing from Goyla village, Uttar Pradesh.

“According to a CCTV footage available, Nikhil had fired upon the dhaba owner and this fire had proved fatal for Paramjeet,” the police said. All 13 members of the tourist family had been detained since last evening.

Nikhil is the main accused who had fired at Paramjeet, while the two others are co-accused, the police said.

The detailed CCTV footage of the incident is yet to be obtained. A team of forensic experts led by Arun Sharma, Director, Forensic Science Lab, Junga, visited the Urban Dhaba at Sanwara and tried to unlock the close circuit camera installed there to help unravel the sequence of events where the dhaba owner was shot and two others were injured.

However, the police have managed to obtain a footage where Nikhil was seen firing at Paramjeet.

Parwanoo DSP Parmod Chauhan said the team of forensic experts would also lift various samples and try to establish the sequence of events.

He said the condition of Nikhil, who had been shot at by Paramjeet, was stable.

He said it was yet to be ascertained who owned the pistol and a revolver which were used in the incident and recovered from the spot. Though Harbir, who had fired upon Paramjeet, claimed to be an official of the Uttar Pradesh Fire Services, his identify is yet to be verified.

The DSP said as per preliminary investigations it was learnt that the family had ordered toast, noodles and tea at the dhaba, but they complained that the bread was stale following which the waiter was questioned. However, the waiter said they procured fresh bread every day. Peeved at being questioned on the quality of the bread, Paramjeet told the tourists that they should not pay for the food which they did not like. This, however, failed to pacify the tourists and a few women entered into an altercation at the counter which was countered by the dhaba staff.

Chauhan said the situation soon got out of control and heated arguments and fisticuffs were exchanged between the tourists and the dhaba staff followed by firing from both sides. While the police is yet to verify the sequence of shots fired by either side, a pistol and a revolver used in the incident have been recovered.

A case under Section 307, 147, 148 of the IPC for attempt to murder and rioting and Section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered along with a separate case of murder under Section 302 of the IPC and further investigations are on.