A 32-year-old Noida-based businessman was allegedly beaten up by unidentified youth in the parking space of central Delhi’s Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel in the early hours of August 13. The police have registered a case but are yet to identify the accused.
The incident was caught on CCTV camera and the footage has reportedly been preserved by the police.
Pankaj Vashishth, who had visited the hotel with two friends late on August 12, got beaten up by several men after his car allegedly brushed against theirs.
Recounting horror
“Initially, there were three fairly young people. However, they were joined by a few others who got aggressive and started hitting us,” he alleged.
Recalling the incident, Mr. Vashishth said he had given his car to the hotel valet for parking but the driver found it difficult to park the vehicle. The victim then offered to park the car himself. “While I was parking, my car brushed another vehicle and it got a minor dent. I told the driver to contact the owner and went to join my friends,” he said.
Mr. Vashishth returned after a while and asked the valet for his car key. However, the attendant allegedly refused to give him the key saying he had hit a car and the key would be returned only after the car owner was informed.
‘Victim abused’
“The owners were three young men. I told them I was ready to pay for the damage. One of them said it would cost ₹10,000 to fix. I agreed to pay the amount via card,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, a few others joined the trio, and allegedly started abusing and shouting at the victim and his friends.
“I think they were drunk. While the three young men who had come there initially were talking to me, the others who joined later started using force. One of them even punched me in the eyes,” the businessman alleged.
Mr. Vashishth called the police even as the unidentified accused fled the spot. The police reached the hotel and took the victim to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for checkup. He was then referred to AIIMS.
“After RML I went to a hospital in Noida for checkup. However, I got my eye surgery done at AIIMS. I stayed there for two days and have been on bed rest since,” he said.
On intervention by the hotel authorities, Mr. Vashishth alleged that the parking staff witnessed the altercation but did not intervene.
Help at hand
However, Shangri-La’s spokesperson said the hotel’s security had intervened and separated the two parties.
“Further, the local authorities arrived at the scene and initiated necessary action. The hotel assisted them,” the spokesperson claimed.
The police registered a case on August 17 after Mr. Vashishth was fit for statement. A senior police officer said the police have the registration number of the accused’s car and that it has been traced to Tagore Garden. “A case under Sections 323 [punishment for voluntarily causing hurt], 341 [punishment for wrongful restraint] and 34 [common intention] of the IPC has been registered. We have the CCTV footage and the accused will be identified soon,” he said.
