Five people, including three bouncers, a nightclub manager and his wife, have been arrested in connection with the death of a Delhi driver who was allegedly assaulted after liquid spilled on the manager’s wife at a club near Ashok Park Metro station, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place late on October 10 at Tor House nightclub in the Sarai Rohilla police station area. The deceased was identified as Daljeet, a resident of Raghuvir Nagar. He is survived by his wife, Pooja, their eight-year-old son and his father.
According to the police, Daljeet had gone to the nightclub with five or six friends when some liquid spilled on the manager’s wife. A verbal altercation followed, after which bouncers were called. Police said an assault allegedly took place and that the circumstances leading to Daljeet’s death were being investigated.
Daljeet’s friends told mediapersons that the group apologised and requested the attackers to stop, but the assault continued. They alleged that the group was beaten with sticks and glass bottles and that the bouncers dragged them back inside when they tried to leave. One of the friends, Sunny, said he suffered a minor head injury.
The friends also alleged that one of the accused brandished a firearm and that cash and two mobile phones were taken from the group. Police are examining these allegations as part of the investigation and have seized the nightclub’s digital video recorder. Investigators are reviewing the CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify any other people who may have been involved.
Daljeet sustained severe injuries, including a fractured jaw, according to accounts provided by his friends. They took him to his home in Raghuvir Nagar after leaving the club. He later collapsed near the entrance of the house and was taken by his wife and friends to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said.
The case has also raised questions about the response to the incident. The family alleged that they called the police control room during the assault, but that a police response vehicle arrived outside the club and left without conducting an inquiry. Police said this allegation was being looked into.
The authorities are separately examining whether the nightclub had the permissions required to operate late at night. Records have been sought from the Excise Department and the Licensing Branch, according to information provided in connection with the case. The inquiry could establish whether the establishment was operating within the applicable permissions and whether any licensing conditions are relevant to the investigation.
Pooja said Daljeet was the sole breadwinner of the family and sought justice for herself and their child. The arrests have been made while police continue to investigate the alleged assault, the reported emergency response, the club’s operating permissions and the circumstances surrounding Daljeet’s death.
