New Delhi: Five people, including bouncers, a club manager and his wife, were arrested for the death of a man who was allegedly assaulted by the couple and the staff for spilling beer on the woman at a nightclub here, police said Tuesday.
The incident took place late October 10 at Tor House nightclub near Ashok Park Metro station under the Sarai Rohilla police station area, they said. Among the five, three bouncers have also been arrested.
The deceased, identified as Daljeet, was a resident of Raghuvir Nagar and is survived by his wife Pooja, an eight-year-old son and his father.
According to the police, Daljeet had gone to the nightclub with five to six of his friends for a party when some liquid spilt on the wife of the club manager. A verbal altercation broke out, following which bouncers were called and Daljeet was allegedly assaulted.
Daljeet and his friends apologised and requested them to stop, but they kept assaulting the group with sticks and glass bottles.
Friends of the deceased told mediapersons that the attackers continued thrashing Daljeet despite repeated pleas to spare him. We were thrashed brutally, one of the friends, Sunny, who sustained a minor head injury, said.
They alleged that when the group tried to escape, the bouncers dragged them back inside and assaulted them again.
According to his friends, the attackers also poured water on them during the assault after covering his face. Daljeet sustained severe injuries, including a fractured jaw, and was in a bad state.
His friends, including Nishu and Pawan, somehow managed to take him out of the club and brought him to his residence in Raghuvir Nagar. Daljeet collapsed near the entrance of his house, after which his wife and friends took him to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police said Daljeet had returned home after the assault and was feeling unwell. His wife subsequently took him to the hospital, where he was declared dead. Sunny further said that he received a call from the deceased’s wife after the incident.
I am his friend. I got a call from his wife. That he was not moving and we rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead, Sunny said.
He added that We have seen the CCTV footage and it was horrific. Daljeet was thrashed brutally. Those who did this to him must be strictly punished.
The victim’s friends also alleged that one of the accused brandished a firearm during the incident. They further claimed that the accused took cash and two mobile phones from the group. Police are examining the allegations as part of the investigation.
The friends said the nightclub’s CCTV cameras had captured the assault and demanded strict action against those involved. Police have seized the nightclub’s digital video recorder (DVR) and are examining the CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify other people involved in the assault.
The family also alleged that they had called the police control room during the incident, but a police response vehicle arrived outside the club and left without conducting an inquiry. The allegation is being looked into.
Police are also examining whether the nightclub had the requisite permissions to operate late at night. Records have been sought from the Excise Department and the Licensing Branch, according to information provided in connection with the case.
The arrests have been made as the investigation continues, with police probing the circumstances leading to the altercation, the alleged assault and the victim’s death.
The deceased driver’s wife, Pooja, said he was the only breadwinner of the house.
He went to the club with his friends. I only got to know that bouncers thrashed him so ruthlessly that he died. I want justice for my eight-year-old child and me, she added.
Police said that further investigation is underway.
