NEW DELHI: A 29-year-old driver was allegedly beaten with sticks and fists, “hit on his stomach, legs and head, and locked in a room with his friends for up to 40 minutes” after a minor altercation at a club in north Delhi’s Inderlok.One of the accused allegedly pulled out a pistol and threatened the group, while the club manager’s wife allegedly grabbed the driver by his hair and attacked him with bottles, a friend claimed.Daljeet Singh, who was allegedly assaulted by the club staff along with his friends, returned home after the incident but fell ill and vomited before going to sleep.His condition deteriorated around noon on Sunday, following which his wife, Puja, took him to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital in Khayala, where doctors declared him dead.Daljeet, 29, a resident of JJ Colony in Raghubir Nagar, had visited the club on New Rohtak Road around 3.30am on October 11 with five friends — Pawan, Arbaz Ali, Ashu, Tinu and Gautam. The group had been celebrating when a minor collision allegedly caused beer to spill on the club manager’s wife, who was celebrating her birthday, leading to an argument.“We were seven people and they were more in number. They thrashed us for nearly an hour,” Tinu, one of Daljeet’s friends, alleged. He claimed that three members of the group were locked inside a room and beaten for 30 to 40 minutes.Police received information about Daljeet’s death from the hospital and subsequently verified the circumstances surrounding the incident. The alleged assault was captured on CCTV cameras.Five arrested, police post in-charge sent to district linesPolice have registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation involving serious threats. Sections of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) were also invoked.The five arrested accused have been identified as Dilawar alias Hasnain, a guest organiser; Sunny alias Gaurav, the club manager; Sharvan Kumar, who was responsible for checking entries at the main gate; bouncer Vikash Balyan; and Harshita, the manager’s wife, whose birthday was being celebrated at the club, according to police. Investigators alleged that Sharvan assaulted Daljeet while another person was taking him back.Daljeet worked as a driver and was the sole breadwinner for his family, a friend said. He is survived by his wife, an eight-year-old son and a younger brother.
