The Hyderabad police have arrested five staff members of popular biryani eatery Meridian Restaurant for allegedly assaulting a customer, Mohammed Liyaqat (31), who passed away soon after. Liyaqat died on the night of Sunday, September 10, after a fight between him and his friends with some staff members of the restaurant in Punjagutta. The fight was reportedly triggered by an argument between Liyaqat and a waiter, when he asked for extra raita. Two policemen have also been suspended for negligence of duty in the incident. 

Mohammed Liyaqat and his friends, who were having dinner at the restaurant, reportedly asked the waiter for extra raita with their biryani. According to The Times of India, an argument ensued after the waiter allegedly answered rudely. The argument escalated into a fist fight after Mohammed slapped the waiter, and other workers in the restaurant came to the waiter’s aid, according to the report. Policemen from the Panjagutta police station arrived at the restaurant to break up the fight and both parties were taken to the station. CCTV footage showed the fight continuing despite police presence. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Joel Davis told ToI that Liyaqat had shown no signs of external injuries at the time, when both groups were at the police station. He suddenly started to feel uneasy and collapsed a few minutes later, the DCP said, adding that he was rushed to the Deccan Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. 

Friends and family of Liyaqat have slammed the police for not taking him to the hospital sooner. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig Quadri also went to the police station to demand justice for the victim’s family. 

A murder case has been registered against five of the restaurant employees including the waiter with whom the argument first started. All five have been arrested and identified as Krishna Surya Prakash, Malavath Pandu, Alamdar, Abdul Nazeer, and Moin. Meanwhile, two policemen, Sub-Inspector Shiva Shankar and constable Ramesh, have also been suspended for negligence in discharging their duties.

With IANS inputs