HYDERABAD: A fuel station employee was beaten to death by three people early Tuesday for allegedly refusing UPI payment, due to technical difficulties, at Janwada of Narsingi in Cyberabad.
The police identified the victim as N. Sanjay, 19. They said that the incident took place when Sanjay rushed to help his colleague, who was being beaten after having a heated argument with the trio.
While Mukhiya, the colleague, received minor injuries, Sanjay collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
Alerted by the fuel station staff, police started a probe and booked the accused, identified as Mallesh, Narender and Anuk, in a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Narsingi ACP Ramana Goud said the accused were natives of Janwada village and that teams were deployed to track them. He identified one of the three as a repeat offender, who was out on bail.
Mukhiya said that the trio was in a car and got petrol filled. “One of them came out and started beating me, while another person also joined in. My colleague received injuries and collapsed. I informed our supervisor and rushed him to the hospital,” he said.
Sanjay was a native of neighbouring Proddatur village.
Following his death, his relatives and villagers, in large numbers, staged a protest at the filling station, blocking traffic movement and set tyres afire.
After the police assured them of strict punishment for the accused, the crowd dispersed.
Sanjay’s elder brother, Sandeep, claimed that one of the attackers refused to pay up and threatened Sanjay, while his mother, Vanithamma, said that the family had a lot of hopes for him. “They also should be punished in the same manner,” she said.
