Mumbai: Bar owner and three others arrested for robbing and confining man

Chandni Bar in Mulund, where the alleged assault took place. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

The Mulund police station arrested the owner of Chandni Bar and three others for allegedly robbing a man of R6,500 and keeping him in confinement in a fit of rage.

The matter came to light on April 18 when the victim approached the Mulund police station to register a complaint against unknown people.

"On March 6, the police had conducted a raid at the bar and the victim was present at the bar. On April 3, the victim, 32, went to the bar again. The owner of the bar Balindra Chowdhury allegedly called him to a room, snatched his phone, and kept him in confinement in the staff room of the bar. He then took R6,500 from him," said a police officer.

"Someone had told the owner that the victim was a police informant and had tipped them off about alleged illegal activities at the bar, which is why the police had carried out a raid at the bar. Hence, in a fit of rage, the owner decided to take revenge. The group of men physically assaulted the victim," the police added.

" I went into the bar and the waiters and the owner of the bar confined me in the staff room and then assaulted me. I got scared as they left me on the Aroli Bridge and then I had to go to the hospital by myself. I was in immense mental trauma and decided to come forward to register an FIR," said the victim.

The police arrested the owner of the bar Balindra Chowdhary, 45, Nilesh Shukla, 33, Praskash Rai, 56, and Abhay Gautam on April 19.

They have booked under Sections 392 (whoever commits robbery), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

Rs 6,500
Amount stolen from the victim