Five people, including three bouncers, a nightclub manager and his wife, have been arrested after a 29-year-old driver died following an alleged assault at Tor House nightclub near Ashok Park Metro station in north Delhi, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place late on October 10 within the jurisdiction of Sarai Rohilla police station. Police said Daljeet had gone to the nightclub with five to six friends when beer allegedly spilled on the manager’s wife, leading to a verbal altercation. Bouncers were then called in, and Daljeet was allegedly assaulted.
According to statements made by Daljeet’s friends, the group apologised and repeatedly asked the attackers to stop, but the assault continued. The friends alleged that bouncers used sticks and glass bottles, dragged some members back inside when they tried to leave and beat them for an extended period. Sunny, one of the friends who suffered a minor head injury, said the group had been “thrashed brutally”.
The friends alleged that three members of the group were locked inside a room and assaulted for between 30 and 40 minutes. They also claimed that one of the accused brandished a pistol, while the manager’s wife pulled Daljeet by his hair and attacked him with bottles. The allegations, including claims that cash and two mobile phones were taken from the group, are being examined by police.
Daljeet sustained severe injuries, including a fractured jaw, according to his friends. He was taken home to Raghuvir Nagar after the alleged assault but later became unwell and collapsed near the entrance of his house. His wife, Pooja, and his friends took him to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police have seized the nightclub’s digital video recorder and are examining CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify anyone else who may have been involved. Friends of the victim said they had seen the footage and described the assault as severe. Police are also investigating the family’s allegation that a police control-room call was made during the incident, but that a response vehicle left the club without conducting an inquiry.
The investigation also includes a regulatory check on the nightclub’s late-night operations. Police have sought records from the Excise Department and the Licensing Branch to establish whether the venue had the requisite permissions to operate at those hours. Further investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the altercation, the sequence of the alleged assault and the specific role of each accused.
Daljeet lived with his family in Raghuvir Nagar and was its sole breadwinner, according to his wife. He is survived by his wife, an eight-year-old son and his father. His wife has sought justice for the family. Police said the investigation would continue after examination of the CCTV footage, licensing records and allegations made by the victim’s family and friends.
