Argument over bill leads to brawl at Green Park café

An altercation over payment of a bill led to a brawl, leaving one person injured at a café in Green Park area on Friday night. The incident reportedly occurred after a music festival, where several bands were participating, got over and the members went to settle the bill.

While the band members alleged that they were beaten up by the bouncers and the bar tender at the café, the manager of the place alleged that the members misbehaved with him.

Police have registered FIRs based on complaints from both parties. A separate case was also registered on the complaint of a head constable who alleged that the band members manhandled him and even tore his uniform.

According to one Sahil Sharma, whose band, performed at the festival, an argument between his sound engineer Mayank Tiwari and bartender Harpal Singh broke out over the bill.

Sharma alleged that the bar tender was rude and had charged them for drinks they did not order.

He alleged that the staff forced them to pay and when they refused, the bar tender hit them. “The manager and the bar tender thrashed me and my friends. Two bouncers then came and started beating Mayank. Harpal Singh tried to strangle me. The bouncers dragged me down two floors, kicked and punched me which led to a head injury,” Sharma alleged in his complaint.

Harpal Singh, however, countered the allegations by stating that it was Sharma who picked up a fight with the bar tender when he was asked to pay the bill. “While the bar tender said that they had consumed six beers, the men (band members) claimed that they only had four beers. They started to argue and then became violent,” Singh said in his statement.

A scuffle between the two parties ensued and the police was informed. Sharma alleged that the police constable who came on call also misbehaved with him and his brother Gaurav Sharma allegedly intimidated them. He accused the police of showing “favouritism”

However, police present at the incident claimed in its FIR that Sharma and his brother abused and misbehaved with the police while they were being taken to the hospital.

“Sahil Sharma and his brother started beating Harpal Singh when all of them were being taken to the hospital. When the police intervened, both the brothers started abusing and threatening the cops as well,” the head constable said in his complaint, adding they got into a scuffle with the policemen as well.

Three separate FIRs have been registered in the matter and investigation is on.