Puducherry: The property owner of the Le Club restaurant in White Town here, Pratap de Condappa, was brutally attacked and beaten by a gang at the restaurant on Friday. Condappa who was residing at his house located near the restaurant was attacked by a gang of 13, allegedly due to a dispute over the possession of the property, around 7.45 pm on Friday in full view of customers at the restaurant. The incident was caught on a CCTV camera at the restaurant. The CCTV footage of the incident shows the assailants breaking into the property and assaulting and beating him with a hammer, whilst the security person was also manhandled and threatened by the gang.
Pratap is the owner of the property and was trying through the court to get back possession for a few years from the illegal tenants. According to him tenant Ravi Manet, Rajendran Maleappane who is operating the LE Club restaurant illegally and the manager of the restaurant Ananad had planned and executed the attack as he recently entered into a portion of the premises and has also won major victories in the ongoing court cases involving non-payment of rent and illegal subletting. An active volunteer of the NGO ‘People for Pondicherry Heritage’ Pratap was helped and assisted by some of the tourists who were having food from the restaurant. He was admitted to the Government General Hospital here.
The CCTV footage clearly shows how the gang, who were carrying weapons and other blunt instruments, managed to escape from the restaurant. The mobile phone, cash, clothes and other valuables were also taken away the assailants. An FIR was registered in Odiansalai police station against the three and police started the investigation.
