A shopkeeper in the neighbourhood of the Meridian Restaurant said that the deceased and his friends seemed in an inebriated condition.
Published Sep 11, 2023 | 9:52 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 12, 2023 | 1:33 PM
Meridian Restaurant in Panjagutta where Mohammed Liyaqat (right) was beaten to death. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
What should have been a petty issue turned into an intense brawl on Sunday, 10 September, resulting in the death of one person at the Meridian Restaurant in the Punjagutta area of Hyderabad.
The 32-year-old man, identified as Mohammed Liyaqat, died at the police station over an hour after the fight broke out at 10:30 pm, following a scuffle between him, his group of friends, and the restaurant staff over “extra curd”.
As per the FIR, accessed by South First, the deceased visited the restaurant with his friends for dinner, during which they got into an argument with the restaurant staff. This quickly escalated into a brawl.
As per the FIR, registered by the Panjagutta police on the basis of a complaint by a friend of the deceased, the group of 10 ordered two plates of biryani.
“We also told him (the restaurant staff) to bring us extra curd, but the waiter replied in a very rude manner and in a bad tone,” Liyaqat’s friend Saleem Khan stated in his complaint.
A photo of Meridian Restaurant before the building was renovated. (X)
He added that the staff, while asking them to wait, hurled abuse at them, following which Liyaqat confronted them.
“Immediately, the two waiters who were attending to our table started quarrelling with us. Meanwhile, another two people who were from the management came and started abusing and beating us,” alleged Saleem, a resident of Golconda.
He added that the restaurant staff also called the owner of the establishment, Mohammad Yousuf Qureshi and, on the latter’s instructions, thrashed the group, even in the presence of the police when they arrived.
When Liyaqat and his friends — Mohammad Omer, Mohammad Naser, and Mohammad Mustafa — reached the Panjagutta Police Station, the former “developed uneasiness”, Saleem stated in his complaint.
When he fell unconscious while speaking to the police, he was taken to the nearby Deccan Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. His post-mortem examination is underway at Secunderbad’s Gandhi Hospital.
A shopkeeper in the neighbourhood of the Meridian Restaurant told South First that the deceased and his friends seemed to be inebriated on that fateful night.
Without denying the claim, the police said that they could only state the facts once they received the post-mortem examination report.
Police shut down Meridian Restaurant in order to maintain law and order. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
“Prima facie, it seems that the deceased and his friends were in an intoxicated condition. We also found some alcohol bottles in their car. But from our end, we cannot malign the character of the deceased until we ascertain all the facts,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of West Zone, Joel Davis, told South First.
He added, “It was a petty issue that escalated into a scuffle between two groups.”
The DCP added that there were no signs of external injuries on Liyaqat’s body when both groups were at the police station.
The Panjagutta police also arrested five people employed with the Meridian Restaurant and registered a case under Section 302 (criminal act committed by two or more persons) of the Indian Penal Code against them. The cops also shut down the restaurant in order to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, AIMIM MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig reached the Panjagutta Police Station and demanded stern action against the restaurant’s management and staff.
South First has tried to reach out to the management of the Meridian Restaurant, but they have not responded so far. The story will be updated as and when we receive a reply.
