Eatery owner stabbed over Rs 250 bill

A small spat over a food bill of Rs 250 snowballed into a bloodied brawl in which the 35-year-old owner of a roadside eatery lost his life while his younger brother was seriously wounded. The police has arrested three of the seven accused.

The incident in Southeast Delhi's Okhla area on Monday is the fifth in the capital in the last two years wherein poor hawkers have lost their lives. Just recently, a private security guard shot dead a jalebi seller at the famous Bangla Sweet Corner in Connaught Place after the jalebi seller asked to wait in a queue for his turn.

In the latest incident on Monday night, a group of seven people arrived at around 10pm at Yusuf's joint, which he ran with his younger brother Nawab (30). After they finished their meal, Yusuf handed them a bill of Rs 250. The men paid the bill, but accused Yusuf of inflating the amount, according to the police. The argument soon turned ugly and the men started beating Yusuf. Seeing his brother being thrashed, Nawab intervened. The accused got hold of a knife and an iron road. Yusuf was stabbed to death while Nawab was hit with the rod.

When the time the police got Yusuf to a hospital, he was declared dead; Nawab has been admitted to a trauma centre.

"We have arrested three of the seven accused. Investigation is on," said a police official. The arrested accused are Mohd Akram (29), Rashid (31) and Shahdab (31). The four others are absconding.