Mumbai: A party to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday turned into a nightmare for a Haryana resident, after he accidentally fired his licensed pistol at a lounge bar in Andheri last week. The police not only arrested him and his friends but also the bar’s management members for not reporting the incident.
According to the police, the main accused, identified as Rakesh Kalra, is a businessman. He had arrived in Mumbai with three friends and his bodyguard on June 23. The police said Mr. Kalra had recently entered into a relationship with a girl working at Mansi Bar in Andheri, and would frequent the bar to visit her.
“It was the girl’s birthday last week. To celebrate it, the bar manager organised a party for her. The girl’s friends, Mr Kalra, three of his friends and bodyguard were invited to Wee VIP Lounge Bar on the night of June 23. Between the five of them, Mr Kalra’s group had six licensed handguns, which they were flaunting at the party,” an officer at Amboli police station said.
The officer added that several girls at the party were posing with Mr. Kalra’s group. During this time, the gun Mr. Kalra was holding went off, and the round went through a sofa and lodged itself in a wall behind it. The gunshot spread panic among patrons and the bar staff, who fled the scene.
The officer added, “To prevent the incident from hurting their business, the management of Wee VIP didn’t report the incident, and the manager of Mansi Bar, who had arranged the party, too stayed silent. However, we received a tip-off about the incident and sent a team to investigate. Inquiries confirmed the incident and we first booked the manager and waiters at Wee VIP, and then the manager of Mansi bar.”
The police found that Mr. Kalra was staying at a hotel in Saki Naka and was preparing to leave the city. A team led by API Daya Nayak was sent to nab him and his friends, who were intercepted in Vakola. The accused, 12 in all, were placed under arrest on Tuesday.
“The accused were produced in court on Tuesday, which remanded them in police custody till Thursday. We are verifying the gun licenses and if the incident was actually an accident,” the officer added.
