Karnataka Pan Shop Owner Beaten To Death Over Payment Dispute

A petty dispute over the payment for cigarettes and water bottles turned deadly in a Karnataka village, where a 48-year-old pan shop owner was brutally assaulted and killed by a group of men.

The victim, Yallappa Naik, was attacked late at night after four men stopped at his shop while returning from a village fair.

According to police, the men took four to five cigarettes and two water bottles but allegedly refused to pay when asked.

Recounting the incident, Yallappa's brother Ningappa Naik said the situation escalated quickly.

"It was around midnight, they took about four to five cigarettes and two water bottles. When my brother asked them to pay for it, they refused and then began to assault him. Two of them held him while the other thrashed him. When we arrived, they tried to run away and we managed to catch hold of two of them," he said.

Ningappa added that the family immediately rushed Yallappa to a nearby hospital, where doctors advised shifting him for advanced treatment.

"We took him towards KLE Hospital, but he did not survive," he said.

Locals claimed that the men were inebriated at the time of the incident and were behaving aggressively in the area even before the assault, alleging that they were creating a nuisance along the route after the fair.

Yallappa sustained severe injuries in the attack and died while being taken for treatment, leaving his family shattered. 

Yallappa was the sole breadwinner of the family.

Police have arrested four accused in connection with the case Prajwal Patil (22), Nikhil Chougale (22), Viveil Chougale, and Shridhar Patil.

A case has been registered at the Kakati Police Station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events and the role of each accused.

Family and locals are demanding strict action against the accused.