2 killed for refusing to pay Rs 15 for cigarette

BENGALURU: A 30-year-old man who declined to pay Rs 15 for a

cigarette

he had picked up from a

petty shop

ended up paying with his life on Wednesday night. His refusal led to a series of clashes which resulted in the man and his brother being hacked to death in east Bengaluru.

The incident occurred in Veerannagudde on

Govindapura Main Road

near KG Halli. The dead are Amin, 30, and Mathin, 32, residents of Veerannagudde.

Seemanth Kumar Singh, additional commissioner of police (east), said: “We’ve taken up a case of murder against the gang, including the shopowner, Ali. We have picked up several people, including those who instigated the gang to attack the duo.”

KG Halli police said at 7.30pm, Amin took a cigarette worth Rs 15 from Ali’s shop. Ali noticed Amin was leaving without paying and stopped him. Amin told Ali he would pay him the next time but the latter didn’t agree. The duo had a heated argument and Amin left after assaulting Ali.

Police said Ali told his friends about the assault on the phone and more than half-a -dozen of them rushed to his shop. Armed with wooden logs and other blunt objects, they began searching for Amin, who was found in a nearby area around 9pm. The gang assaulted him. Amin’s brother Mathin, a cab driver, rushed to save him. But the gang didn’t spare Mathin either .

Mathin was killed on the spot, while Amin was rushed to hospital where he succumbed. Police said Amin was a drug addict and had several cases against him at KG Halli and other police stations.