Two pub employees allege assault by group of men after being denied entry

Two employees of a city pub were allegedly assaulted for denying entry to a group of people who arrived after it was closed, police said on Monday.

Inspector Kailash, station house officer, DLF Phase 1 police station, said one of the accused used to be a partner at ‘Club Storm’ on Golf Course Road, where the incident took place in the wee hours of Sunday.

A police officer privy to the case said that the attack was the fallout of a “dispute related to money”. Kuldeep Singh, one of the pub staff who was allegedly attacked, said that the main accused, along with around a dozen friends, tried to force their way into the pub around 1.30am on Monday.

“We told him (the main accused) that the club is closed and we cannot let you in. He flew into a rage and started abusing us,” Singh said.

As the pub owner called police, the accused fled the pub, he said.

“Later when we (Singh and another employee) were walking towards our car in the parking area, the accused, along with others, arrived in two cars and started assaulting us,” Singh said.

The officer privy to the probe said that although there is CCTV footage of the accused trying to enter the pub, the police have not yet been able to obtain any footage of the assault. An FIR has been registered at DLF Phase I Police Station under sections 147, 149, 323, and 506 of the IPC. However, the police are yet to make any arrests in connection with the incident.

In the recent past, several incidents of violence have been reported in watering holes across the city.

In October 2017, two people were arrested following a shooting incident at a pub on MG Road. In July 2017, three men allegedly thrashed a bartender on MG Road after he asked them to pay the bill. Also in July, a video of women employees of a pub on MG Road beating an alleged molester with slippers in full public view went viral on social media.

In June 2017, the city police had issued guidelines to pub/bar owners on MG Road, asking them to ensure the safety of their employees and patrons, particularly women.

POLICE SAID THERE IS CCTV FOOTAGE OF THE ACCUSED TRYING TO ENTER THE PUB, BUT THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN ANY IMAGE OF THE ASSAULT