Eatery owner killed after fight over delivery delay

GREATER NOIDA: A 38-year-old restaurant owner was shot dead at his outlet in Greater Noida late on Tuesday night, allegedly after a fight that broke out because a delivery order was taking longer than expected, police said.

The victim Sunil Agarwal, a resident of Dadri, ran a restaurant, Zam Zam, at Mitra Enclave in Greater Noida. He was trying to resolve an argument with some food delivery agents when three men, all drunk and apparently unconnected with the restaurant or the delivery agents, opened fire and killed him.

Three suspects have been arrested for the crime.

According to additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, Vishal Pandey, 10 delivery agents were collecting 15 food orders at the restaurant at around 12:15am on Wednesday, when they had a disagreement with one of the restaurant’s workers , Narayan, setting off a chain of events that led to Agarwal’s death.

“A Swiggy delivery boy was engaged in a heated argument with restaurant staff, Narayan, over a delay in food. When the restaurant owner Sunil Agarwal reached there to intervene, someone opened fire from outside the restaurant and the bullet hit Agarwal in the head,” Pandey said.

Ashwani Goel, a friend of the victim, said he was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Pandey said police quizzed the delivery agents who were present at the spot but were yet to find any evidence of their involvement in the murder. A case was registered against unknown persons under Section 302 (murder) of IPC.

News of the incident went viral on social media, where the incident was originally passed off as a killing caused by delayed order. Over the past few weeks, social media has been abuzz over the treatment of delivery agents by food delivery firms, and also unrealistic demands some place on the time it takes to make deliveries.

Abhishek, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, said police launched a search and intercepted the three suspects near Zero Point on Yamuna Expressway on Wednesday afternoon. The suspects – Vikas Chaudhury, 26, Devendra, 24, and Sunil, 23, all residents of Anupshahr in Bulandshahr, were arrested.

Police suspect it was Chaudhury — who works as a contractor — who fired a shot that killed Agarwal. Abhishek said that the suspects said they had no connection with the restaurant owner or the delivery agents.

“The three were heavily drunk at the time. One suspect, Sunil, has previously worked as a food delivery agent. The suspects live in a rented accommodation in Swarn Nagri, about 1km from the restaurant.

At night, they left home on a motorcycle and were roaming around. On the way, they stopped near the eatery where the delivery boys were waiting,” he said.

“Hearing the heated argument, the suspects inquired about the matter between the delivery agents and the staff. When the restaurant owner reached, it appears Chaudhury took out a gun and shot the owner,” the DCP said.

The suspects returned to their room, and were planning to escape to Bulandshahr when they were arrested.