An alleged dispute over serving non-vegetarian biryani resulted in the murder of a restaurant owner in Ranchi late Saturday night.
The deceased has been identified as Vijay Nag, 50. Police sources said an unidentified customer killed Nag. The customer had reportedly ordered vegetarian biryani and taken it home, but later discovered that it was chicken biryani. He then called the owner and confronted him.
Police officers said the two had a heated exchange over the phone. Later, when Nag was having his dinner at the restaurant at around 11.30 pm, the customer arrived in a car with two or three associates.
“After a brief scuffle between the two parties… the customer pulled out a gun and shot Vijay in the chest before fleeing the scene,” an officer informed.
When locals heard the gunshot, they rushed to the spot and found Nag lying on the floor. The victim was immediately taken to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi, where doctors declared him dead.
Meanwhile, Kanke Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Baitha said the case may not be limited to the biryani dispute alone. He alleged that some people reportedly had their eyes on Nag’s property.
Family members of the deceased staged a protest on Sunday, demanding that the police arrest all the accused within 24 hours. Police officers said they were examining CCTV footage to trace and arrest the accused.