Karachi police on Saturday registered a case in opposition to 20 to 25 unidentified individuals for vandalising an upscale restaurant on Tipu Sultan Street a day earlier and injuring considered one of its workers.
A video had surfaced on-line yesterday during which a mob may be seen exterior the restaurant named Angeethi. At one level, one of many males throws a chair into the glass facade of the institution, inflicting it to shatter.
In response to SSP East Zubair Nazeer Shaikh, the staff of the restaurant have been enjoying cricket close by when two passersby have been hit by their ball, leading to a scuffle. Through the altercation, the restaurant workers had allegedly roughed up the passersby.
“They (passersby) went again and introduced round 20-25 males armed with sticks who attacked the restaurant, vandalised it, and injured one worker earlier than fleeing away,” he mentioned.
SSP Shaikh mentioned the restaurant administration didn’t wish to pursue the case.
“Subsequently, the police have registered an FIR (first data report) on behalf of the state in opposition to two dozen individuals over prices of riot,” he added.
The police officer mentioned efforts have been being made to arrest the suspects.
Meanwhile, the restaurant’s part-owner Moshin Shafiq Saigal told Dawn.com that on Thursday his employees were playing cricket on Tipu Sultan Road when two boys on a bike tried to pick a fight with them.
“They hit my employees with a bat first,” he alleged. “Then only my employees retaliated and beat them a lot”.
Saigal said the next day the elders of the two boys visited the restaurant and met the manager. “Talks were taking place inside and the manager was explaining to them his version of the events. They were apologising when a mob of at least 40-50 people gathered outside and attacked the restaurant with hammers, chains and sticks.”
“They caused a lot of damage to the restaurant,” he added. “We eventually reached a compromise with the other party as they hail from rural areas and we are businessmen and do not want to involve ourselves in fights.”
The restaurant has since resumed its operations, the owner said.
According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Azam Mirza lodged a complaint with Ferozabad Police Station under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 337-A (i) (Shajjah) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
It quoted complainant ASI Mirza as saying that he was patrolling in the area with his squad a little after midnight when they saw around 20-25 persons vandalising Angeethi restaurant, beating the waiters inside with sticks, and using abusive language.
The report said that upon seeing the police, the suspects escaped, but one of them dropped their Covid vaccine card through which he was identified as Faheem Nadeem.
