Delhi: Man, girlfriend attacked with hookah by 2 women and a man at bar

A couple was injured in Delhi after being assaulted with a hookah hose over a table dispute at a bar. One suspect was arrested; others remain at large.

A 26-year-old man and his 21-year-old girlfriend were injured after a group of two women and a man allegedly assaulted them with a hookah hose on Friday following an altercation that started over the issue of vacating a table at a bar and lounge near RK Ashram Marg Metro station, nearly a kilometre away from Connaught Place in Central Delhi, police said on Saturday.

The man has been arrested but the other alleged accused are on the run, police said. (Representational image)

A case of voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint was registered under sections 115 and 126 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Raja Garden Metro police station on the complaint of the 26-year-old victim, identified as Uzaifa Qureshi, a resident of Delhi’s Daryaganj. One alleged attacker, identified by his first name Salman, 27, a resident of Kabir Nagar in Babarpur in northeast Delhi, was arrested and later bailed out, said deputy commissioner of police (Delhi Metro Rail Police) Kushal Pal Singh.

According to the first information report (FIR), a copy of which is with HT, the alleged attack happened at Bunon Bar around 4.30 am on Friday, even though according to rules no clubs in Delhi can operate after 1am except nightclubs in luxury (five-star and above) hotels. The police are inquiring how the Bunon club was open and attending guests till 4.30 am.

Qureshi, who works at Ghazipur Mandi, in his complaint told the police that on Friday around 2.30 am, he had gone to Bunon Bar with his girlfriend, Anu, for dinner. They occupied a corner table and were inebriated. Around 4.30am, two women arrived with their friends and one of them rudely asked the couple to vacate the table. She identified herself as Nikki Sharma and introduced a man as her friend Salman. Qureshi told them that he would vacate it after finishing his drink, a police officer said quoting the FIR.

“As we were leaving, they blocked us and began misbehaving with us. When I protested, they assaulted my girlfriend and me with a hookah hose due to which we suffered injuries. I informed the police who took us to Lady Hardinge Hospital in a police van. We returned home after medical treatment,” Qureshi said in the complaint.

DCP Singh said while Salman was arrested and released on bail, other alleged accused are on the run.

HT tried to reach out to the Bunon Club management on a mobile number available online. A person named Ashish Khanna answered the call but claimed that the club had been sold and that he would provide the contact number of the new owner. However, there was no further response from Khanna.