Police have arrested two people on suspicion of being involved in an attack on a guest at a city hotel, which nearly cost the victims his life.
The incident occurred on the night of April 11 when the man was hosting a dinner at Hotel Polo Towers. Disappointed in what he felt was poor service, he asked a waiter for the manager’s whereabouts only to be warned not to raise the matter as the waiter had “powerful friends”.
Other staff intervened and the remainder of the dinner went off well but, later, the man was accosted by a mob of up to 18 people who had apparently been summoned by the aggrieved waiter.
According to the victim, he was assaulted with a dao and received grievous injuries to his head and arm. Police arrived and arrested two people, while the victim was taken to hospital for treatment.
Police promptly registered a case in this regard and investigation is already underway, sources informed. At present two people, who have confessed to the crime, are in custody, while efforts are on to apprehend the remaining persons of interest.
“We are on the job to catch the remaining suspects and since the inquiry is on, it is not feasible and prudent to divulge anything as of now,” a police official said.
Police have ruled out the involvement of any organized group and are treating this as an assault case. Police also assured that such incidents will create a blot on the city’s tourist appeal and those guilty will be punished as per the law. Police also called for better self-regulation and improved security measures in hospitality establishments.
When contacted, the owner of Polo Towers, Kishan Tibrewala, who was out of town on the day of the incident but rushed back to resolve the situation, expressed deep regret at the incident which he termed “unfortunate and sad”.
“We have settled the matter with the guests and now await the outcome of the police case,” he said. When asked if the errant employees have been terminated, Tibrewala said, “Now they have been arrested by police and they will do the needful. We will see what happens after that is over.”
