Man breaks up fight over ice cream, killed

Mumbai: Intervening in an argument over the payment of a measly Rs 125 for ice cream in Andheri’s Yadav Nagar cost 40-year-old Muzammil Shaikh his life when four men beat him up on the street. Shaikh had tried to break up a quarrel between the ice-cream shop owner and the four men who owed him Rs 125 and had to pay past arrears too. The four men, who have been arrested, had assaulted Shaik with a wooden stick.

Shaikh was declared dead before arrival in Rajawadi Hospital on Sunday night. The Saki Naka police has arrested the four men — identified as Deepak, Mujahid, Mobin and Shahid —under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relevant to rioting and murder.

Avinash Dharma-dhikari, senior police inspector of Saki Naka police station, said “The incident took place at around 8.20 pm on Sunday. The four accused, who were a part of the 10-member gang, were arrested an hour after the incident. They were allegedly creating a ruckus outside the shop over non-payment of Rs 125. We have booked the accused under section 302 of the IPC, which pertains to murder, read along with section 147 for rioting.”

Among those arrested are three brothers — Mujahid Sultan (23), Shahid Sultan (21), Mobin Sultan (30). Officials said that the brothers were reluctant to pay the bill of Rs 125 along with the pending payment. When the shopkeeper, Narpatsingh Rathod (24), demanded the money, an argument ensued and Shaikh tried to calm things down.

The accused then assaulted Shaikh and he sustained internal injuries to the head and the abdomen. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to Rajawadi Hospital. The Saki Naka police, who were informed about the incident by onlookers, initiated a search operation and nabbed the four accused, while booking their six friends of theirs for rioting.