Seller assaulted over flu-infected chicken row

Patna: A dispute over suspected bird flu–infected chickens led to violence in the Chitragupta Nagar area of Patna on Monday, after shopkeeper Mohammad Arman alleged that a poultry dealer and his associates assaulted him and robbed Rs5,700 when he objected to the delivery of chickens that began dying minutes after being supplied.The incident occurred near the Rajendra Nagar Hariyali vegetable market. Arman said the dealer delivered the chickens in the morning, but within about half-an-hour the birds started dying one after another.“My staff was at the shop during the delivery and immediately informed me. When I reached, I saw the chickens dying. I contacted the dealer and told him we don’t want any chickens that might have bird flu. All the ones supplied appeared infected. This made him furious,” Arman said.According to him, the dealer soon returned with four or five associates on two bikes. They allegedly snatched Rs5,700 from his pocket and assaulted him when he resisted, hitting him on the head with sharp objects and causing a serious injury. The commotion drew nearby shopkeepers, forcing the assailants to flee.Chitragupta Nagar SHO Shankar Jha confirmed that Arman submitted an application regarding the incident. “An FIR has been registered based on his complaint, and a police investigation is underway. The injured shopkeeper was taken to PMCH for treatment. His condition is stable,” he said.