Mumbai:
A lawyer tried to slaughter his client in full public view in a market place in Bainganwadi on Tuesday evening to retaliate for an insult.
He ganged up with his brothers to drag the client out of his house, haul him to the road, beat him to pulp, and stab him with a knife. While two of the accused have been detained, the victim's condition is said to be fatal.
According to the Deonar police, the victim identified as Rustam Shawat was a client of advocate Ismail Khan.
Both resided in the Deonar area of Govandi. On Monday, Khan had gone to meet the Shawat to ask for some advocacy fees Shawat owed him. But Shawat told Khan that he was not a capable lawyer and did not know how to work properly.
Thus deriding Khan, Shawat refused to pay a single penny. Khan swallowed his pride and returned from there.
On Sunday at around 8 pm, Khan, accompanied by his three brothers, barged into Shahwat's Bainganwadi residence in Deonar and dragged him out of the house. All four were armed with knives and choppers.
They hauled Shawat to a traffic signal on the main road outside his house and started beating him mercilessly. Khan then stabbed the victim several times, dumped his body in a gutter, and the four made themselves scarce.
Passers-by, who until now, had been mute spectators came to the rescue of the dying man. They rushed him to Shatabdi hospital in Chembur. But the hospital authorities refused to admit him and sent him to Rajawadi hospital.
The victim's condition is critical. Police have detained Khan and brother Iqbal, while the other two have managed to get away.