Mumbai: 12 held over ‘accidental firing’ inside restaurant

Nobody was injured in the incident (Representational Image)

THE Mumbai Police has arrested 12 people after a businessman from Haryana accidentally fired his licensed weapon inside a restaurant in Andheri. The police said nobody was injured but five diners and seven staffers of the establishment were arrested. The incident took place in the wee hours of Sunday.

A case was registered at Amboli police station on Monday after local informants approached the police. According to police officials, the five arrested persons Mohit Batla (23), Sonu Saroha (33), Mahendra Malik (32), Rakesh Kalra (40) and Saahil Dhamija (25) hail from Haryana and were present at the lounge bar in Andheri along with several other people to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Police recovered two rifles, two pipeguns, one pistol and a revolver along with ten live rounds. Investigators claimed the five were allowed to carry their weapons into the lounge after they promised to run up a bill worth more then Rs 5 lakh. An officer from Amboli police station said,

“Malik is son of a prominent businessman from Haryana. The five were allegedly present in the lounge to celebrate a friend’s birthday, who has not been named as an accused. They entered the lounge in the wee hours,” said an officer.
Following the incident, the five left the spot along with their female friend. Meanwhile, investigators claimed that the lounge staffers failed to inform the Amboli police, due to which a case was registered on Monday.

Senior police inspector Bharat Gaikwad from Amboli police station said, “It was revealed that there was an incident of misfiring, which the lounge staff were hiding. We checked the premises and found a bullet mark on a wooden plank.” The five men were then arrested from Vakola.

Restaurant staffers identified as Abhay Waghmare (32), Priyash Thakkar (29), Krushna Shetty (29), Nikhil Thakkar (29), Krushnadutta Pandey (33), Ashok Singh (30) and Indranarayan Pandey (36) were subsequently arrested for not informing the police.

The 12 accused were booked under Sections 176, 202, 336 of the Indian Penal Code along with sections 3 and 25 under Arms Act. They were produced in court and remanded in police custody.

The investigators alleged that they have also seized a Mercedes anda Fortuner car in which the five arrived at the lounge. “The five failed to provide necessary documents for their car. We are investigating further,” said a police official.