Pune: A dispute over food prices turned gruesome in Maharshinagar on Saturday afternoon after three food cart operators allegedly assaulted two eatery owners with sharp weapons, severing one man’s forearm’s at the elbow.Police said the victims, Kishor Bansode (29) and Prasad Ajure (29), were attacked around 2pm following a conflict regarding the pricing of tea and snacks. Senior inspector Yashwant Nikam of Swargate police station stated that a case of attempt to murder is being registered against the three suspects, who operate separate licenced food carts in the same vicinity.The victims run a small eatery located directly behind the suspects’ food carts. According to the police, the suspects attacked the duo with heavy sharp weapons.“Ajure tried to shield himself when the accused attempted to strike his head. In the process, his right forearm was severed from the elbow,” said inspector Nikam. Bansode also sustained life-threatening head injuries during the assault.Swargate police personnel arrived at the scene shortly after the attack. In a race against time, officers placed the severed limb in a clean polythene bag and rushed Ajure to a private hospital in Shivajinagar. Doctors there are currently performing emergency surgery to attempt to reattach the hand.Bansode is receiving treatment for his head injuries at Sassoon General Hospital.Police investigations revealed that the violence stemmed from intense competition over customer footfall. The suspects, who sell vada pav and tea, had recently hiked their prices. In response, Bansode and Ajure reduced their rates further to attract more customers, triggering the conflict.The groups had reportedly engaged in a minor scuffle in the Premnagar area two days earlier, though that incident was not reported to the authorities.This is the second such incident in Pune in recent years where a limb was severed during a violent confrontation. On Jan 1, 2024, an MBA student in Pashan had his hand severed at the wrist during an attack by four individuals. In that case, medical professionals successfully reattached the limb..
