HYDERABAD: A fast-food worker on Wednesday night stabbed a customer who complained that the chicken pakoda he had ordered was too spicy, leaving him needing 30 stitches in his arm.
Police arrested the attacker, identified as G. Jeevan, while the victim was rushed to a private hospital in the vicinity. The incident took place at the ninth phase of KPHB, the police said.
The victim, M. Praneet Reddy, works in a private construction company and was accompanied by his friends M. Nagarjuna and Laxminarayana on his trip to JS Chicken Pakodi Centre, the police said.
The trio ordered a large plate of chicken pakoda and upon tasting it, Nagarjuna told Jeevan it was too spicy, to which Jeevan retorted by using abusive words and asking him to either eat it as is or leave the place immediately.
As Praneet tried to intervene and pacify both sides, Jeevan got aggressive, took out his onion-chopping knife and attacked Praneet, said Srinivas, a cousin of the victim. He said that when Praneet raised his hand to defend himself, Jeevan inflicted injuries on his left ear and shoulder.
“He tried to injure him in the neck, but Praneet luckily blocked him with his hand. However, his hand was badly cut and started bleeding severely,” Srinivas said.
Meanwhile, Praneet’s friends dialled the police helpline, who went to the scene and took Jeevan into custody. The police said that Jeevan abused them as well.
“Following a heated argument, the accused, Jeevan, used a vegetable knife from the kiosk and attacked Praneet Reddy on his arm,” said KPHB sub-inspector M. Venkateshwarlu.
The SI said that locals, upon hearing a commotion, rushed to the spot and took Praneet to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment after getting 30 stitches. Nagarjuna also suffered injuries and was treated at a private hospital, but he is out of danger, the cop said.
Based on Nagurjuna’s complaint, the police booked Jeevan under Section 326 of IPC.
The police said that there were at least eight customers at the kiosk who witnessed the attack in full.
Members of the KPHB Colony Association said that Jeevan was a native of Tenali, who has a history of violent and aggressive behaviour. An association member was threatened with being beheaded when he requested him to shift his kiosk to a side of the road, they said.
A resident, Sandeep Reddy, said that Jeevan set up the kiosk without permission from the police or GHMC.
Sham, Jeevan’s co-worker, said: “He always uses vulgar language when any customer complains about his food or comments on the taste. He is frustrated over personal issues and takes them out on customers, as he is mostly inebriated.”
The police said that when they went to retrieve the knife used in the attack from Jeevan’s house, they were obstructed by Sham and Jeevan’s mother. They had also washed the knife with detergent.
The police said they are now contacting the Tenali police to check if Jeevan had a record of crimes.
